


Grab A Wolf by the Ears

by Scarlett_Lamour



Series: Howling for You [4]
Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Alpha Arthur, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Arthur Morgan Does Not Have Tuberculosis, Beta John, Beta'd? Damn near killed 'em!, F/M, Haha I don't even edit anymore, M/M, Multi, Tagging as I go
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-15
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-06-29 05:26:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 23,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19823467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scarlett_Lamour/pseuds/Scarlett_Lamour
Summary: Now that she’s a part of the Van der Linde pack, what will Adeline have to do to protect her new family? What is she willing to do?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It's your girl, Scarlett, back at it again.

The day broke warm and almost infuriatingly good weathered. Adeline slowly stirred awake as sunlight stole into her tent and declared its presence on her face. As she shifted, taking a deep breath, her hand found the space around her empty. Without opening her eyes, still half asleep, she reached out across the cot looking for the warmth of another body. A hand tenderly grabbed her calf, squeezing it. Finally waking up, she looked to the end of the cot to see Arthur smiling down at her.

"Rise and shine, slowpoke." He joked, shaking her leg a bit before returning to finish dressing. He pulled on a boot, wiggling his foot a bit to slide it on. Adeline's eyes strayed to the satchel sitting on the ground next to him.

"You heading out?" She sat up, taking a long minute to rub the sleep from her eye.

"Yeah," He drew the word out, hesitant as he looked away from her. Oh, she wasn't coming. Even her sleep fuzzy brain picked up his meaning. "John and me are riding out for a bit. We're scouting a new campsite."

"John too?" Her eyes scanned the tent, seeing his stuff was already gone. She groaned, laying back down and curling up under the blanket. Arthur laughed, leaning over her to pull her cover back down. 

"It's just for the day, we'll be back by supper." He grinned down at her as the fabric slipped off her face. Leaning further, he buried his face in her neck and kissed the sensitive skin under her jaw, making her writhe just a little as he teased with his tongue. 

"You are a scoundrel, Arthur Morgan." Adeline grabbed his collar, holding him close. He laughed, chuckling as she peppered kisses along his jaw. When he managed to finally untangle himself from her grasp, she gave a defeated sigh. "Can't I go with you?" She asked, already knowing what he'd say.

"Sure, soon as we get you your own horse." He teased. Adeline gave a half hearted scowl as she swung her feet out of the cot. She was still reluctant to ride one of those monsters but it kept her mostly bound to camp. Part of her suspected Arthur was leaving her behind today as an incentive to change her mind. It was working. She grumbled her dissent with a sigh. Arthur stood up, slinging his satchel over his shoulder. 

"Arthur, what's taking you so long?" John poked his head in. "The horses are all saddled up." His eyes landed on Adeline, slowly getting dressed. "Addy, you're up!" He stepped inside the tent. 

"You were going to ride off without even a kiss goodbye?" She faked indignance holding a hand out to him that he gladly took up, kissing the back of it before folding her into his arms. 

"We'll be back tonight, it's not even that long." He laughed a bit as she squeezed him tightly. Untangling himself, still laughing he kissed her forehead before slipping out of her reach. Adeline was left to huff a bit as Arthur kissed her cheek and fled the tent to follow John. A scowl settled on her face as she finished getting dressed. She knew if she lingered in her tent to wallow in dissatisfaction, Miss Grimshaw would find her and yell. The thought of that woman yelling was enough to hurry her out into the morning sunlight. Her eyes would flash silver and her teeth would grow sharp at the barest hint of anger. 

It'd been a week since she'd bonded with the pack and Arthur and John hadn't left the camp since then. She sighed as she sat down with a plate of food for breakfast. Crusty bread and a bit of salted meat, not much but enough. She supposed the honeymoon couldn't last forever. Abigail slid into the table beside her with her own plate of food. 

"Dutch is taking a few of us into town today," She smirked expectantly. "Wanna join us?" Adeline was still a little asleep and sullen that her men had left. Abigail nudged her. 

"Yeah, okay. Better than mending all day." She finally said, biting into the bread. It was stale but at least it wasn't moldy. Abigail smiled, nodding. In the back of her mind, Adeline realized Arthur or John had probably asked Abigail to cheer her up. Out of nowhere, Karen slid into another chair, leaning on her elbows as she looked expectantly at Adeline.

"So, you're coming?" She asked, eager as always. Adeline tilted her head to the side, unsure of the sudden attention. 

"Yes..." She said slowly, suspicious. Karen clapped her hands and gave a whoop. 

"Great! It's gonna be a fun time. We're getting you new clothes." She banged on the table to punctuate her sentence and left before Adeline could protest. She was left looking at Abigail in confusion. The other woman wouldn't meet her eyes as she ate her breakfast but Adeline stared her down. 

"The other girls wanted to get you a present, for joining the pack." She finally admitted, sheepish. 

"Wait, are we going into town _for_ me?" She asked, finishing off the chewy bit of meat. Abigail shrugged, rolling her head a bit in a non committal head nod. 

"Maybe? Well, damn Addy. You're pack now, we want to take care of you! You ain't even got a change of clothes!" Abigail snapped a little and Adeline wondered if she was really so resistant to attention from others that her friends felt it necessary to bristle that much. Probably. Take a breath, she reached out to rest her hand on Abigail's arm. 

"Thank you." She swallowed her protests, they were obviously already expecting them. Abigail stiffened in surprise at Adeline just accepting their attention. 

"Well, you're welcome." She stuttered out, caught off guard. "The wagon will be ready in a little bit, once you've finished up head on over." Abigail grinned, her tone softening as Adeline didn't fight her. She carried her plate to the wash bucket and walked off, leaving Adeline with her own empty plate. Moving to stand up, she paused as Sean slid into the seat opposite her with a lopsided grin on his face. 

"So, now that your bodyguards are away wanna have a little fun?" He raised an eyebrow expectantly. Adeline narrowed her eyes, studying him a bit. Was Sean really that dumb? Almost certainly. 

"Aren't you afraid Arthur and John will rip your spine out through your nose?" She snipped as she picked up her plate and walked off. Sean laughed, sure of himself, and followed behind her. 

"Oh, they wouldn't mind a bit of a stitch between friends." He said, leaning against the chuck wagon. Adeline furrowed her brows, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. Sean seemed to suddenly be second guessing his proposition. 

"Well, _I_ mind." She dropped the plate into the wash basin, water splashing up on Sean's sleeve.

"Oi, don't be such a human." He said, reaching out to grab her sleeve. Annoyed, Adeline picked up a tin plate laying on the table and smacked it against the side of his head. Sean stumbled back to the sound of raucous laughter. Adeline turned on her heels to see the girls of camp waiting for her in a wagon. She smirked to herself, walking off to join them. As she pulled herself up into the back of the wagon to sit beside Karen she sighed. 

"If I'd known he'd do that, I would have picked Lenny." Karen burst into happy peels of laughter. Dutch walked by, knocking the wagon as he past. 

"You ladies ready?" He asked over his shoulder. 

"Let's get the cart on the road!" Karen shouted. The other girls raised their voices in agreement. Dutch chuckled, climbing into the driver's seat and snapping the reins to get the old drafts moving. They were sluggish, throwing themselves into the harness with slow measured steps as they pulled the wagon out of the woods. 

"Don't worry about Sean too much," Karen turned to her. "He's all mouth. And he probably would have propositioned you even if you hadn't picked him. He can't help himself." She rolled her eyes but there was a fondness underneath her words. The treeline broke into rolling plains, tall yellow grass waving in the breeze.

"So, I got some business at the bank." Dutch started to say. 

"She already figured it out, Dutch." Abigail stopped him from continuing. Dutch laughed harder than Adeline thought was necessary. 

"You're two clever by half, Missus Adeline. How's pack life treating you, kid?" Dutch asked as the horses began trotted along the road. Out of the trees, she felt exposed. 

"I've got no complaints." She said, trying to relax into the rocking of the wagon. 

"None?" He looked over his shoulder at her, a hint of surprise in his tone. Tilly smirked a bit, nudging Adeline with her boot.

"No complaints since Micah ain't gone near her since the bonding." She explained. Dutch laughed again, along with the other girls. Adeline didn't think it was particularly funny, even if it was true. 

"Of course. You must strive to forgive him, he is pack after all." He spoke like a gentle parent, trying to push their child in the right direction. 

"I'll think about it." She lied. Micah was a snake, intentionally so, but he had wormed his way close to Dutch and there was clearly no shaking that. It confused her a bit. Dutch was a smart man, maybe too smart and that was the problem. A person could be too sure of themselves and Dutch was certainly prone to overestimating himself. "What's this town called?" She pointedly changed the topic of conversation. 

"Blackwater." Dutch obliged her. "I used to live here, once up a time. Been a long time since we've been out this way." He pointed out across the plains. A small town was visible, over the edge of a small hill. It didn't look particularly impressive but it was bigger than any town she'd ever seen. Not that it was a high bar. "I'll be at the bank, you girls come find me once you're done with your fun."

"Thank you, Dutch." Abigail smiled at Adeline. They trotted past a few houses and a church. He pulled the horses to a stop outside the general store and waited for the women to climb out of the wagon.

"Of course, ladies. Anytime. Stay out of trouble." He said, turning to glance at Adeline. Once they were down, he snapped the reins and drove them off towards the livery to leave the wagon. She smoothed her skirt down before taking a minute to look around the town. There was some construction off past an open field. Seemed this town was growing by leaps and bounds. She wasn't sure how much she cared for it. Did towns really need to be so big? Shaking her head, she looked to the general store. Abigail and Mary Beth were grabbing her arms and pulling her into the store before she had a real chance to get her bearings. 

It was an odd feeling being on the other side of the counter. She hadn't set foot in a store since leaving her own back so long ago. No, she corrected herself, maybe a month or so ago. Not so long. The girls were laughing, discussing what they thought would look good on her. She kept quiet, listening to them, letting them have their fun. It was nice that they cared. It felt nice that they fussed over her. 

It didn't take long for them to settle on a few dresses for her. Mary Beth even picked out a small satchel for her, slinging it over her shoulder as she settled it just so. They paid, not letting Adeline see how much money they spent and pushed her to the dressing room to wear one of the new dresses while the shopkeep wrapped up the rest. 

She examined herself in the mirror for a bit as she unbuttoned her old dress. It felt like every crease of her face was lined with dirt. Surely she felt she looked rougher than she actually was, Arthur and John hadn't ever complained. Then again they seemed used to living dirty. A small smile crept onto her face as she wondered if it really mattered. The new dress was a brighter color, muted yellow that she had to admit did lighten her up a bit. It hung well and she wouldn't have to take the waist in much.

"Come on! Let us see!" Karen pounded on the door, laughing. Adeline stepped out to see the women smiling and looking far too pleased with themselves. 

"Let's go head back." She suggested, slipping the satchel over her head. Karen gave a playful scowl, slipping a bottle of liquor off the shelves and tucking it into her skirts without drawing attention to herself. 

"Well you're no fun." The other woman sneered. Abigail shoved her towards the door by her arm.

"She's plenty fun, come on. Dutch'll be waiting for us." Abigail ushered the other women out of the store, Adeline hanging back behind her. "We'll go get the wagon, you go get Dutch. We'll meet you at the bank." She pointed down the street. "It's the next street over." With a soft pat on her shoulder, Abigail walked off with the women yelling at each other. Adeline laughed a little and set off towards the bank. 

As she turned a corner, the bank just in sight now, a voice called out for her. Adeline paused, looking around in bewilderment. Who on earth would be calling her in this town? A boy, just barely old enough to be considered grown came up to her, out of breath but smiling. He was a little familiar, he must have been back in the last town she’d been in. For a moment, she wondered to herself at that idea and she really didn’t find herself missing it any. The young man cleared his throat to catch her attention once again.

“What a coincidence seeing you here, Miss.” He tipped his hat politely. The reverent behavior startled her a bit, but she remembered the way he smiled at her before now. Perhaps she could use that to her advantage? 

“I’m visiting family. Did you ever manage to catch those dangerous outlaws?” She asked, tossing in a rising pitch to her voice to feign worry. The boy shook his head.

“Oh, no. We had them on the run but they managed to give us the slip. Chased them into the next state, though. Doubt they’ll be any trouble out here for a while.” He was all teeth and ruddy cheeks and awkwardness, not yet fully grown into his frame. Adeline let out a puff of air and tried to give a warm grin. Was it really warm if you didn’t mean it?

“I’m glad to hear that. Well, it was nice to see you, Sanford was it?” The name from the business card struggled into her mind as she tried to recall it. The boy lit up, nodding his head vigorously. 

“Oh, yes Miss. Sanford. Luke Sanford. Surprised you remembered it.” He pulled his hat from his head as if suddenly realizing he was still wearing it. 

“I have a mind for names.” She said flippantly. Especially ones that got her tied up and held at gunpoint. The thought floated through her mind as she kept her face impassive. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Sanford. But I do have business to attend to in the bank today.” She waved her hand behind her, indicating the squat, squared off building. Sanford ducked his head, maybe embarrassed to have held her up.

“Of course! Don’t let me keep you, just wanted to say hi, it being such a rare thing, seeing you again. Here.” He rambled a bit and Adeline dismissed him with a small goodbye before stepping away. She shook her head, laughing to herself at the young man's reaction to her. He'd be a large man once he grew into his frame, she was sure. As she stepped into the bank, she idly wondered if she would run into him again. Dutch was talking a blue streak with the teller, asking for change and changing his mind and switching bills back and forth. The teller was struggling to keep up with his charm, eyes flitting between his hands and Dutch's face. Adeline smirked to herself. She had a few scammers try that on her when she was running her old store but she knew better than to play that game. A bank teller should know better, she thought, he must be new to the job. 

Dutch smiled at her as she joined him at the window, his hand stuffing a few more bills in his pocket than he'd started out with. Outside the bank, the unmistakable sound of a baying hound rang through the expected sounds of a sleepy town. Dutch's head snapped up, looking over his shoulder while Adeline kept her eyes on the teller's hands. 

"You didn't happen to see some Pinkertons outside, did you?" He asked her. He had to nudge her a bit to get her to look up at him. She shook her head, startled and looked up, realizing she hadn't heard him ask her a question. "Pinkertons?" He nodded his head towards the closed front door. Adeline paused a minute, following his motions when her eyes widened as she realized what meeting that young man must mean. Her breath caught and that was enough for Dutch to catch her around the waist and pull her down to the floor. 

"Dutch Van der Linde! Come out with your hands up!" A voice called out. Dutch didn't respond to the bait, instead moving across the open floor to crouch beneath the large front windows. Adeline scuttled after him, trying to keep low. The teller had ducked down behind the counter. They seemed a bit more used to an assault than Adeline was. 

Dutch kept a hand on her back as she ducked beneath the windows beside him. He kept himself against the wall, peering out the window with his gun drawn and up. Bullets ripped into the side of the building, making her flinch away from the noise and reverberation of each hit. It reminded her so much of when they’d fled before, and John had gotten shot and her mind was reeling at the situation. They were pinned down. She struggled to keep her wits about her. Now was not the time to panic. 

“Addy,” Dutch patted her back. “We got to try and get out the back.” He motioned towards the door behind the register. She shook her head, trying to dissuade him. Several agents had run past the window after the shooting had started. 

“They’ll have it blocked.” She tried to explain. A bullet shattered glass, burying itself in the wood of the counter and she gave a small yelp in surprise. Dutch slid his arm across her back, pulling her against him as he fired back. Adeline realized he was trying to keep the flying glass off of her. 

“Well, we can’t stay here kid.” His voice had a frayed edge to it, he didn’t know what to do either. She tried to think, plan something out. Something to save their lives. It came to her when she thought of the young agent, Sanford. 

“Use me.” She said, Dutch not really listening. “They know I’m human, use me as a shield. Say I’m a hostage. They won’t shoot me.” He turned to look at her, dark eyes boring a hole in her face. 

“Are you insane?” He asked incredulously. She only shrugged. 

“Maybe a little, but that business card I had came from one of them. He's out there and he’s sweet on me. So they won’t shoot me. Probably” Even as she said it, she knew it sounded stupid but Dutch seemed to take it seriously, looking away as he thought. Another bullet bit off pieces of the wall they were hiding behind, making her cringe away. Making his decision, Dutch pulled his bandana up over his nose. 

“Alright. I’m sorry if I’m too rough.” He reached across her chest, wrapping a hand against her side and holding her tight against him, facing away.

"Make it believable." She encouraged him. Forcing her to walk quickly in front of her, he kicked open the door of the store and pressed his revolver against her head. Before them at least ten Pinkerton agents were dug in for battle. It wasn’t difficult to fake fear. Her hands scrambled at his arm as it held her against him like iron. 

“Stop or I’ll kill her.” He bellowed loud enough to hurt her ears. She was certain they’d be ripped apart by flying lead in seconds but the hail of gunfire stopped. For a moment, in the still of the eye of a storm, Adeline caught sight of the young agent who’d blushed when she remembered his name. He was glaring at Dutch in pure rage. Dutch side stepped, keeping Adeline between him and the Hunters as he looked around for a means of escape. A horse, snorting and stomping, its eyes rolling in its head in fear of the gunshots was tied to the hitching post beside the bank

"Untie the horse." He growled at her. Her hands shook as she struggled with the reins. The beast threatened to bolt as she held the leather in her hands. Surely it would rip itself free and run, leaving them floundering. But the creature stayed. The eyes of the Hunters followed after him as he manhandled Adeline up on the back of the horse and mounted in front of her. The horse, happy to be able to flee, raced with its legs stretched long underneath it. As they rode away, Adeline kept herself plastered against Dutch’s back, keeping him covered in case they tried to shoot at them as the horse sped away. She dared to look back behind them, seeing no one chasing them. It didn't help her feel safe. 

Her arms were tight around Dutch's waist, more out of fear than trying to keep her seat. He turned the horse across the open plains, aiming for the trees. Once they broke past the treeline, Dutch pulled the horse to a slow walk. It's sides heaved as it huffed for air. They were up in the trees of the mountain now, off the road and behind overgrown bushes, just in case they had been followed. Dutch gave her an arm to help her dismount before swinging his leg over as well. 

“I,” Dutch’s words faltered as he looked at her. She was still trying to catch her breath, her heart racing. “I can’t thank you enough for that.” He finally said, obviously embarrassed. “I just, I never thought I’d see the day a human would save my life.” A little sharp bark of a laugh caught in his throat. 

“I’m pack, aren’t I?” She gasped out as her breath slowly returned as she leaned a hand against a nearby tree. Her legs felt shaky as adrenaline wore off, leaving her tired. 

“That you are, kid.” He looked back at the road, sliding down a tree to sit on the ground. “I guess I just didn’t expect you to get that concept quite so well.” 

“Humans understand the concept of family, Dutch.” She wanted to laugh at him but didn’t have it in her at the moment. The more she learned about wolves, the less different they really seemed to be, even if they didn’t want to admit it. She sat down hard beside Dutch, sure if she kept trying to stand she'd fall. Her scalp itched a bit and she reached up to scratch it, rewarded with small shards of glass sticking in her fingers. Pulling them out, she dropped them to the ground before pulling her hair free of it's bun and shaking it loose. A few more tiny shards fell to her lap.

The impact of what had happened hit her fully then and she leaned her head back, looking up to try and keep the tears from spilling down her cheeks. They were prickling at the edges of her lashes, threatening to betray her. Dutch looked over, realizing how close she was to breaking down and he reached out to wrap an arm around her, shushing her. 

"Hey, we made it. It's okay." The little bit of kindness helped, though a few tears still managed to leak out and she wiped her eyes. 

"I'm sorry." She sniffed, trying to not cry. "God, it was like the last time. They just seem to be following me." Dutch hummed, nodding in agreement, keeping an arm across her shoulders. 

"They're like fucking bloodhounds sometimes. Don't worry though, ain't been caught before." He smirked, patting her shoulder as she straightened up. "Nobody even got shot this time." He laughed, a rich sound that made Adeline smile. "That was some trick, though. You got guts, kid."

"Only going to work once." She said wryly. Dutch guffawed.

"No, I figure even Hunters will be bright enough to figure you're in on it if you get seen with us again." He pulled out his pocket watch and looked at the time. "We'll wait out here for a little bit."

"Will the others be okay?" She wiped at her face again, feeling the bubbling, rolling stabs of panic subsiding as they sat on the ground. Dutch waved his hand dismissively as he tucked his watch away. 

"They know what to do. Can you feel Arthur and John?" He asked, looking over to her as he adjusted his hat. Adeline took a deep breath and leaned her head back against the tree, closing her eyes. They were there, just at the edge of her mind. Worried. About her. They couldn't have ignored the feel of her fear. 

"Yeah. They're alright." She didn't add that they were headed towards her, fast. It probably went without saying. "Can we," It was hard to swallow around the lump in her throat. "can we just stay here until they get here?" Dutch eyed her for a minute, she didn't know what he was thinking but she was trying to hold it together. 

"Yeah, kid. How long do you think it'll take?" He relaxed, stretching his legs out and pulling a cigar from inside his vest to smoke. 

"Not long." She hugged her knees to her chest, resting her forehead against them. It was less than a half hour before John came crashing through the brush, startling the stolen horse into dancing away from them. His eyes went to her immediately, crouching beside her with his hands on her as quickly as he could manage. 

"Addy?" She looked up at her name, smiling to see him. He let out a huff of relief, sitting down hard and pulling her into his lap. "Jesus, what the fuck happened?" His eyes looked to Dutch for answers as he tucked her head under his chin. Dutch snuffed out the stub of a cigar left and moved to stand up, dusting off his pants. 

"Pinkertons caught us in town." He looked around, walking to the startled horse and calming it. "Had us pinned down real bad and your little mate got me out of there." The horse relaxed under his hands as he stroked down it's neck, cooing to it. "We gotta move again. If they followed us this far, they'll keep it up." 

"Where we running?" John asked, standing up and pulled Adeline up with him. She buried her face in his chest, enjoying the feeling of his hands rubbing her back. 

"I don't know. North I think." Dutch looked back at him. "Addy, you okay?" He asked. 

"Yeah, I'm fine." She wasn't. But she didn't feel like she was going to break down sobbing now and that was good enough. "Where's Arthur?" Her eyes looked around the woods, searching for her other mate. John kissed her temple.

"I ran ahead. He's got the horses. Should we head back to camp?" His attention turned back to Dutch. The older man nodded, checking the tack of the new horse. 

"Yeah, the others are probably already packing up."


	2. Chapter 2

Once Arthur had shown up with two horses breathing heavy, they mounted up and made their way back towards camp. Adeline climbed up behind Arthur, relaxing against his back. He hadn't said much, hadn't even dismounted. They rode single file along the road, Arthur and Adeline at the back as Dutch led the way. The even, deep breaths Arthur took made her settle as she leaned on him. Feeling the rise and fall of his chest under her. 

"I get the feeling something real stupid happened." He finally grumbled low. Adeline sighed. It was hard to tell if he was mad or not. Closing her eyes, she felt him at the edges of herself. Worried. Just worried. 

"Incredibly stupid." She admitted, squeezing tighter around his waist. His broad hand covered hers, holding it there as they rode on in silence. 

The camp was gone by the time they got there. A bit of trash left behind but everything else was packed up and gone. Wheel tracks led out onto the road and then vanished. Arthur slid out of the saddle, handing the reins to Adeline and patted her knee before sliding to wolf and sniffing at the ground. She adjusted in the saddle, unable to reach the stirrups and antsy to be alone on Buckshot. 

_Got the scent._ He looked up at John and Dutch. His eyes shifted over to Adeline and he faded back to human for a moment, his hand on her knee again. 

"I'm going to track the wagons, stay on Buckshot, he'll follow Old Boy without much help, alright?" As he spoke, he worked to shorten the stirrups. She was able to slide her feet into them and Arthur held her ankle, positioning her foot on the metal. Without waiting for her to argue, he fell back into his wolf and was off along the road. Dutch nudged his horse and trotted after him. John gave her a small smile. 

"It'll be okay, Addy. We'll catch up to them soon." He rode close to her. 

"If we can catch up to them, why couldn't the Pinkertons catch us too?" The fear and worry hadn't left her entirely, settled low in her gut making her uneasy. John shook his head but didn't have a real answer. He clucked to Old Boy and the horse began a quick trot. Buckshot perked his ears up and followed behind without Adeline having to do anything except try and sit through the bouncy gate. 

When the caravan of wagons wasn't far off, Dutch rode ahead to speak to Hosea. Arthur walked easily beside John and Adeline, still wolf. She suspected he was doing this to make her practice riding more. The sloppy grin he gave her only made her more sure of it. Frowning, she squeezed with her legs and trotted up the caravan until she found the wagon the women were riding in. They gave out a cheer when they saw her, Tilly and Karen waving her over. 

"Never thought I'd see a human use themselves as a shield for a wolf." Abigail nearly yelled it. The other girls edged closer as Adeline rode beside the wagon. Behind her she could hear Arthur give a surprised bark. He'd be mad at her now, she thought. 

"There weren't exactly a lot of choices." She argued against the tone in her voice. Abigail watched her for a long minute. "How'd you all get out of there?" Changing the topic seemed to work, the women speaking all at once. 

"Well, once we heard the gunshots we were about ready to just drop everything and run." Karen explained, holding a cigarette up to her lips for a second then sending out a great puff of smoke. "But Abigail didn't want to leave without you, so we hung around a bit."

"I saw you." Abigail said, her eyes narrowed at her like a disappointed parent. "Can't believe Dutch agreed to that." She sounded more disappointed in Dutch. Adeline shrugged. "Glad you're okay." The other woman said finally. "Do you know where we're heading?"

"Dutch said something about going North." Adeline said, glad the intense scrutiny was gone. 

"Into the mountains?" Mary Beth shivered at the thought, wrapping her shawl tighter around her. 

"Guess he figures they won't follow us if we go somewhere bad enough." As she said it, she could hear the disdain in her voice. It was a bad plan, she felt it in her bones. "Glad you're all safe, though. I was worried." 

"You was worried?" Karen laughed. "Those Hunters were too busy trying to kill you to notice us slipping away." They all laughed but a low grumble beside her drew her eyes to Arthur, walking along beside her as a wolf. The laughter died as Arthur walked on ahead. 

They circled the wagons and camped beside the road for the night, tents pitched hurriedly and bedrolls laid out while a few stayed up to keep watch. Adeline laid curled on a bedroll, tent flaps drawn closed, trying to sleep but anxiety was eating her alive. Gnawing at her gut and making her stare up at the underside of the tent. The flap opened and Arthur flopped down beside her. Moving his hat to cover his face, he seemed to fall right to sleep. She envied his ability to sleep anywhere. Curling on her side, she closed her eyes. 

"I can hear your worrying from here." His heavy drawl made her sit up and look over at him. A blue eye peeked at her from under his hat. "We've been in worse situations than this, we'll be fine." Reaching out, he pulled her against his chest. He wrapped his arm around her, his hand resting against her head. "Long as we've got the pack, we'll be fine. We're with you, Lamb." She curled against him, glad of the warmth. "Though from the sound of things, you've got us." 

"Damn you." She grumbled. He could joke about it? With a flick of her wrist, she knocked his hat from his head, glaring down at him. Arthur only laughed, pressing a kiss against her hair. 

"Try and sleep, there's snow in the air. It's going to be hard traveling for a while." He pulled a blanket up over them, mostly over her she noticed. It was easier to push away the worry, with his steady heartbeat thudding under her ear. With his heavy arm across her back and their legs tangled together. Her fingers curled into shirt, holding on gently as she fell asleep. 

He'd been right, it was hard traveling. For two weeks. The snow had started falling late in the next day. Adeline had watched from the wagon as fat white flakes drifted down. Growing up it had never snowed more than thin dusting. Drifts were quickly building up as they climbed higher into the mountains. She was so entranced with it she hadn't even noticed when she started shivering until John rode up to check on her around lunch time. 

"Why're you shaking?" He asked as he passed her a hunk of cheese from his saddlebags. It took her a minute to understand his question, not really listening. 

"The snow, it's cold." She finally said, biting a bit off the sharp cheddar. John looked up at the sky and the snow along the side of the road then swore. Shrugging out of his own coat he threw it at her. Taking a deep breath of the lining, Adeline happily snuggled under it. John laughed a bit at her behavior. 

"Damn, Addy. You scent shit like a wolf. Where's your coat?" He didn't seemed bothered a bit by the lowering temperature. She shrugged as she slid her arms through the sleeves, not even able to stick her fingers past the cuffs without rolling them up a bit. 

"Wasn't here when everything got packed up." Adeline reminded him. With a shrug, she returned to eating the cheese. John nodded, thinking as she spoke. "Aren't you going to be cold?"

"I'll be fine. Wolves run hot. _Tell me_ when you're cold, woman." Pointing a finger at her, making her laugh before he tipped his hat rode up the caravan. She'd huddled under the heavy coat until they made camp for the night and Mary Beth was able to find her own coat. Loath to return John's, though, Adeline had pulled it back on over top of her own and hunched. At the fire sat in front of, Charles sat across from her and Arthur sat down close, handing her a plate of food. Dried meat and dried fruit and dried bread. Nothing that needed cooking. The dried meat was half frozen, stiff to the touch. Arthur's eyes drifted over her double coat, smirking to himself as he bit into his own bread. 

"Swear to god, Lamb." He joked as John sat down. John turned his head in confusion, looking between Arthur and Adeline until he realized she was still wearing his coat. 

"What- give me that!" Yanking it off, much to her disapproval, he shrugged into it. "Was looking for this, I said we run hot, not 'don't feel cold'." He bit into his meat with a rough jerk, ripping off a hunk to chew on. There were a few other small fires inside the ring of wagons, pack members huddled around them. Talk was quiet, hushed. Tension was in the air, despite the few jokes being told. With no warning, a howl rang out. It bounced off the near mountains and snow. Others followed it in quick succession until the entire pack was raising their voices to the clear sky. Adeline watched as everyone threw their heads back to howl. The song died off and the tension in the air seemed to drift away, conversations flairing to life around her. She was staring at the three men around her in amazement. 

"What was _that_?" She wondered. John looked to Arthur to explain and he shrugged a little. 

"A howl, we howl." He clearly didn't have a good explanation ready for her. "Burn off some nerves. Call to each other when we're apart. Warn others we're coming. A howl." Her eyes were wide in amazement as he explained. It had never occurred to her before that wolves had reasons they howled. It made perfect sense, especially after seeing how well it calmed the pack.

"You can tell each other's howls apart?" She asked. 

"Well, yeah. They’re all different.” John was excited to explain. “The way we howl, it’s as individual as a voice.” Adeline leaned forward, eager to learn. Arthur relaxed back against a saddle, pulling his gun out to clean and smiled to himself as he listened to John. “Everyone’s howl is a little bit different, like their own song.” He tossed his head back and let out a howl that Adeline knew would be impossible for her to make. It undulated at the start, going raspy towards the end. When he finished, he grinned at her. 

“Now, Arthur. Show her yours. Listen to the pitch and changes in tone.” He advised her. Arthur laughed a little before resting his gun in his lap and leaning his head back to belt out a howl. It was lower pitched than John’s, slowly rising then lowering into a soft undulation at the end. Adeline sat, entranced by the howls. They were so loud, she was sure they could be heard miles away, and they made her chest rattle with the force of them. There was an eerie music to them that pulled at her and she wasn't sure if it was related to her connection with the men or just how howls worked.

“I heard the difference.” She grinned to herself. "Charles, what's yours sound like?" Her eagerness made the other wolf laugh. Shrugging a bit, he tossed his head back and let out a low howl, rising up and down in the middle before falling low again at the end. John smiled in triumph as Arthur went back to his gun. “Can I howl too?” The thought obviously hadn’t occurred to John. He looked to Arthur, questioning. Arthur looking over at Charles, the two Alpha's shrugging at each other. 

“I don’t see why not.” The words fell out of Arthur slowly as he returned his attention to his gun. "Won’t be able to be as loud,” he warned her. “Humans aren’t made for howling like we are.” He didn’t look up from his gun as he spoke. Adeline ignored him and gave solid attempt to howl like they had. Arthur was right, it wasn’t nearly as loud, but for a preciously brief moment she was able to make her ribs rattle the same. When she finished, Arthur burst into a heavy laugh.

“You sound like a puppy!” He tried to explain as tears rolled down his face. She scowled a bit, leaning back on her arms. She thought it had sounded fine. 

"Oh, she sounded fine." John argued, leaning over her. One arm braced on the other side of her hip and kissed at her jaw. "You sounded fine." A hushed sigh left her as he kissed behind her ear and let is tongue slide along the edge of her lobe. 

"Good job, Human!" Sean yelled out encouragingly from a different fire followed by a small scattering of applause. Charles broke out into a small laugh and Adeline pushed John off her laughing along. Arthur finished cleaning his gun and standing up from the fire. 

"I got first watch tonight. Y'all get some sleep. Charles, you got second shift?" Charles gave a swift nod, banking the fire before standing up to head to bed. Adeline followed after John as he headed to bed for the night. It was that way for a few more days. She'd fall asleep curled against John and wake up in Arthur's arms, warm enough to not want to leave their tent. 

On the fifth day of trudging through narrow, snow covered paths and unsticking wagon wheels from snow drifts, Adeline had actually asked to ride with Arthur, knowing he would prod her more about getting her own mount. The wagon was doing little to keep the cold away and she was growing almost sore at the rocking gate of the thing. He'd chuckled, but obliged her, stopping long enough for her to climb up in front of him. Handing the reins off to her, he'd unbuttoned his coat. Wrapping the free edges around her, he held her close against his chest to share his warmth. Clucking to Buckshot, Adeline urged the horse to pick through the snow along the wagons. Charles came trotting up, calling out to them. Arthur moved his hand to cover Adeline's and pull the horse to a stop.

"We're being chased by a storm." He called out. Arthur looked back down the wagon line, past Charles. In the distance, dark clouds loomed, threatening. 

"Think we can beat it?" He asked. Charles shook his head.

"Not a chance. We gotta den up and wait for it to pass." The other Alpha said, looking along the caravan of wagons. Arthur squeezed tighter around Adeline's waist. 

"We'll ride ahead and find a place, you go tell Dutch and Hosea." He barked an order and patted Adeline's leg, motioning for her to ride on. She squeezed hard and Buckshot picked up his legs, trotting along the wagons until they passed by. 

They found an old abandoned town not far away and raced back to direct the pack to it. The storm was just hitting as they pulled into it. Thick snow cutting off the sunlight and obscuring the path in front of them. Adeline had dismounted, Arthur staying up to go scout for John, who'd ridden off earlier. She'd wanted to protest but this wasn't the time for complaining. Everyone was worried about the encroaching storm and making it over the mountains. He hadn't waited, riding out into the storm following the pull she could feel too. Karen had taken her arm, pulling her into one of the dilapidated buildings. 

It looked like it had once been a school house, or a church. Adeline wasn't sure which. What brave souls would want to live this far north? She already knew she hated it. Her toes and fingers were numb in the cold and it was a struggle not to shiver. Miss Grimshaw was barking orders to people, a small potbellied stove being filled with broken pieces of chairs and lit. Adeline strayed to a window, even though the cold tore its way in through the cracks. Outside it was white, details smoothed over by the thick blanket slowly rising. John and Arthur were out there somewhere, whole and healthy but too far for her own comfort. 

"You're shivering." Mary Beth said behind her, drawing her attention with a hand on her shoulder. 

"Everyone's shivering." Adeline responded. The young woman smiled before wrapping a blanket around Adeline, pulling it up over her head as well and tucking it together across her chest.

"There, that's better. Come sit by the fire with us. It'll be warmer." She slipped warm fingers around Adeline's hand and pulled her over to sit by the stove. 

It was dark by the time John and Arthur returned, a third person bundled up on the back of John's horse. The sound of Old Boy complaining woke Adeline from the light sleep she'd drifted into, her head on Abigail's knee. Forgetting the blanket around her, she stood and rushed outside, impatient and a bit worried. 

John was helping a woman down, her eyes hollow and harsh. Surprised, Adeline reached out to help the woman, lead her inside to the warmth. She threw a glance over her shoulder as the men dismounted and followed her into the old building. 

"This is Mrs. Adler." Arthur explained. The moment she walked into the room, every eye was on the woman. There was something about her that Adeline was missing, clearly. The woman sniffed, tears carving tracks down her cheeks. "O'Driscolls killed her mate." He said the words, regret in his voice. Everyone shifted uncomfortably, looking away, sympathetic but afraid of the raw pain shedding off the woman. As Adeline found her a chair, the woman looked up at her, scenting her. 

"You're human?" She asked, momentarily pulled out of her grief by confusion. 

"Yes ma'am." Adeline picked up the blanket she'd forgotten on the floor and wrapped it around the woman. 

"That man called you his mate." She looked back at John, who was talking with Arthur in hushed tones by the door. 

"Yes ma'am." Her own eyes drifted to her mates, wanting to go speak with them but not sure she wanted to leave Mrs. Adler on her own yet. Her heart broke for the woman, she'd be far worse off if either John or Arthur died. 

"But you're human." She asked in bewilderment. Adeline sighed, nodding her head. 

"Last I checked. Excuse me." That was enough to make her step away. John and Arthur both turned to smile at her as she approached. 

"What happened out there?" Worry, she was forever worrying about them. After they were all dead, she was sure she would still be worrying about them. John slipped a hand against the small of her back, pulling her against him gently. 

"Got pinned down by another pack."

"O'Driscolls." Arthur explained. "Real nasty bunch. Mrs. Adler there is an Omega, living out here with her mate. They sniffed her out and killed her mate, trying to mate her to one of theirs." Adeline's face must have shown the horror, John's hand on her squeezing her hip. 

"Does that happen often?" She whispered low, aghast.

"Omega's are rare enough, some wolves, especially Alphas, can go crazy over them." Arthur kept talking, resting a hand on her shoulder. "They were on their own, so a whole pack could take them down easy. 

"You said Omegas were killers." Her eyes darted between the men. John nodded.

"Oh yeah, she killed a _lot_ of them." He sounded impressed. Looking over her shoulder, she appraised the woman crying into Abigail's arms. lt was what she feared most, sitting in front of her. Wrapping her arms around herself, she looked at her feet, thinking things over. Uncertainty was bleeding into her. 

"You cold, Addy?" John asked, pulling her out of her thoughts. She shrugged, looking back to Mrs. Adler. 

"Ain't you?" She responded, not paying attention. 

"Come one, let's go get settled for the night. I think Miss Grimshaw got us a room set up in a different building." John began steering her out of the building, holding her close against him as he pulled her along through the snow. 

The room was small, but that seemed best in such cold conditions. Asides from kicking off his boots and tossing his hat on a chair, John didn't undress. Adeline curled against him, wishing it was warm enough to be skin to skin. She settled for resting her hand against his neck, fingers tangling in his messy hair. Worrisome thoughts of dead mates danced just out of reach, half formed and like ice in her brain. Arthur joined them later, smelling of cigarettes and carrying an extra blanket with him. He slipped into the small bed, crushing against her back to fit. She knew by morning she'd have ended up on one of their chests. She didn't mind, she preferred it really, as close as possible was best.

"How long are we going to be here?" She whispered into John's collar. Arthur's hand rubbed against her arm before pulling the blanket around them.

"Just until the storm breaks." Arthur said, pressing a kiss against her neck. It wasn't a good answer. Outside the howl of wind picking up was forcing groans from the building. Cracks in the windows and between the logs was letting cold seep in. She was certain she'd never be warm again even as she curled tight between the two wolves. 

It took three days before the storm to break, another day for them to dig the wagons out and get moving again. Adeline slept fitful and woke up cold, one of her mates out standing guard or coordinating something. From what she could gather, Dutch was infuriated that O'Driscolls were nearby. He'd snarl at the mention of the name. Mrs. Adler, who's first name was Sadie, seemed interested in Adeline as a curiosity. In the wagon the women sat in as they came down off the mountain, she sat across from Adeline, watching her and Adeline was trying to pretend Sadie wasn't just staring at her. 

"Can you feel them?" She asked, breaking the silence of tired women. Adeline's mouth twitched as she tried to decide if she wanted to answer or not.

"Yes." She didn't know how much she should say. Did she still feel her dead mate? How strong was the connection? The idea made her shudder. It felt like the snow was getting inside her chest. She was glad to see it go. 

"Can they feel you?" Sadie continued to ask.

"As far as I can tell." Adeline finally looked over to the woman, trying to guess her motives for the questions. 

"I'm sorry, I've just never met a mated human before." She shifted across the back of the wagon to sit next to Adeline. "Did you," The blonde woman searched for the right description and failed.

"Yes. We mated the traditional way. Bonded with the pack too." Adeline tried to cut that question off before it got asked. She could see Abigail smirking at her curt tone. 

"She's mated to John _and_ Arthur, if you didn't realize." Karen helpfully added. Adeline shot her a soft glare, more annoyed than anything else. It felt like she was endlessly having to explain her relationship. 

"Damn, you're not one to half ass anything, huh?" Sadie asked. The brashness of the question surprised a laugh out of Adeline. She started rethinking her initial impression of the newcomer. They could probably be friends. 

The first sign of grass peeking up made the tension in Adeline's spine relax. The feeling was clearly shared with the rest of the pack. Suddenly they were all talking again, excited to see the new land they were riding into. Hosea knew the area, from years ago, and was able to direct them to a beautiful overlook. It was picturesque enough to steal her breath as she looked out over the curving river below. A hawk soared high above them, seemingly floating through fluffy dollops of clouds moving lazily past. Even with Miss Grimshaw barking orders at them, it was hard to not be excited. 

She declined a cot for their tent this time, opting instead to stretch out three bedrolls side by side. Of course they would only end up using two but it would be nice to have a bit of extra space. The storm over the mountains seemed to chase them, rendered harmless rain by the time it reached their new campsite. It kept her inside their tent, but wasn't nearly as unpleasant as three days of ice and snow

Arthur rode out to scout the new area, promising to return the next day before dinner. The miserable want of him once he rode out was less than it had been. Surprisingly, he had been right when he'd told her it would get better. Maybe it would be tolerable before too soon. John sat in their tent, keeping her company as she worked on new mending. It was a never ending pile, especially since, she suspected, Karen handed her more than her fair share of it. She couldn't blame her too much, the girl was an awful mender. 

"Tell me about when you met Arthur." Her eyes glanced over to him, reading under the light of a lantern. John paused, looking up like he wasn't sure he'd heard her correctly. A soft smile spread across his lips as he closed his book to look out the tent flaps. 

"Well, it was when I met Dutch and Hosea too. I had been caught by some Hunters. I didn't know what I was doing, I was sloppy. They had me tied up, about to hang me. Had the noose around my neck when suddenly," He raised his hands to mime a rifle shooting off. "Arthur shot the rope. Dutch and Hosea ripped them apart in seconds. Knew he was my mate the second he touched me, helping me get the noose off." John looked over, surprised to see the concerned look on Adeline's face. 

"That is not the sweet story I was expecting." She admitted, looking down at her hands. He'd almost been hung? For what? Just existing? It made a shiver run down her spine. He shrugged in response. 

"After I bonded with the pack, I courted him a little then we rode out west. Mated, stayed denned up for nearly a month." His shoulders shook in a small laugh. "Hosea said he thought we weren't ever coming back." 

"Courted? How does a wolf court?" The topic change made her feel a little better but John blushed, embarrassed. 

"Yeah. You know, I guess, you bring them food. Their favorite if you can find it. Share meals with 'em. Wolves kinda run on their stomach." He scratched at the back of his head, setting his book on the crate next to the lantern. "I always felt bad we didn't have the time to court you." Adeline was silent for a bit, thinking, listening to the rain thump on the canvas of the tent. 

"But Arthur did court me, I guess." She corrected him. John looked startled by the information. "No, he did! He brought me a duck a couple of times, and he ate lunch with me almost every day. " It was a warm feeling, to know why he'd done that. It felt right. John stammered a bit, seemingly a little impressed. 

"Well damn, guess he out did me there. That's Arthur for you, I guess." As he spoke, Adeline set her mending aside, stretching out across her bedroll. 

"You always look to him for answers." She said, laying her head on her arms as she looked out the tent opening to the rain pouring down. It was raining hard enough she couldn't see the trees through the wet grey curtain. John shifted against her, moving to slide a hand up her back. Her eyes fluttered closed and she smiled at the contact. 

"I guess I was always looking to him for answers. I was young when I joined the pack, he was always looking out for me. He's been a wolf longer than me, he knows more." He moved to lay out beside her, looking out the tent with her. Their legs tangled together as he pressed his shoulder against hers. 

"But you're both wolves." She didn't understand his tone. There was something she was missing. A squat feeling of dismay settled in her, there was always a lot she was missing out on.

"Aw, Arthur was born, I was made." As he said it, his hand raised up to trace the scars on his face. Adeline felt like she'd been slapped. Leaning away from him, she looked him over hard. There was a way to become a wolf and neither had bothered to even _mention_ it? John glanced to her and his shoulders sagged with a sigh.

"No, Addy. It's not something a person does willingly. It's awful. You start begging for death, but you can't die." He reached out to take her hand, squeezing it. "I'd die before I let you go through that. You are enough as you are." Pulling her hand closer he pressed against her neck, kissing it roughly. "Please god, don't go looking for it." His voice was harsh, scared she realized. How awful would it have to be to make John scared for her? The thought made her shudder. "Promise me. There are wolves out there who'd do it. Doubly so since you're mated to us." He was begging her now. 

"I promise." She was quick to reassure him, reaching up to cup his cheek. "I wouldn't, I won't." Her thumb rubbed against the heavy scars on the side of his face. John relaxed, letting go of her hand. "I just, if it wasn't so bad as you said...I'd want to." Part of her knew even if it was, she'd probably still do it if she hadn't just promised not to. 

"I know," A sad sort of smile strayed to his face as he pressed his forehead against hers. "but we love you how you are." He rolled to lean against her heavy. "Don't go mentioning it to Arthur. He'll be mad if he knows I told you about it." She scoffed at him, faking insult.

"You two think I'd be so foolish to go running off and try to find someone who'd turn me?" She asked, not really surprised. 

"Yes." He said quickly, his hand slipping down to squeeze her ass through her skirts. "If you thought it'd make you a better pack member, I'm pretty well convinced you'd do just about any stupid thing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, no smut yet. Who am I and what have I done with Scarlett?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long (by my standards) wait. Had a little emotional break down but I'm back now and I brought t-shirts for everybody!

The next morning came sooner than she thought. Their tent was closed, keeping the worst of the obnoxious sunlight off her face, but John's wandering hands woke her first. He'd slipped beneath her chemise, softly grazing fingertips along the ticklish skin of her ribs. A thumb rubbed against the smooth underside of one breast before moving to pluck at a swiftly hardening nipple. She gave a small moan, not opening her eyes yet, as she became aware of what was happening. 

" 'S too early." Her voice was thick with sleep, but still playful as she smiled dreamily. John chuckled, voice closer than she had realized. He rolled the nippled between the calloused pads of his fingers, pulling a gasp and moan out of her as her back arched into his touch. 

"Don't worry, you ain't gotta wake up if you don't want to." His voice was soft as he trailed down her body. Rucking her chemise up above her breasts, he kissed down her sternum, trailing a wet line to one nipple before catching it in his teeth. Her hands lazily caught up his long hair, making him laugh as he pulled free and slipped lower down. Pushing her legs apart, John kissed up the inside of her thigh, making her writhe just a bit as he rubbed a thumb against the sensitive skin. His stubble scratched a bit as he lowered his head, dragging his tongue up her slit. A moan slipped free as she let her head roll back into the blanket. Sliding his thumbs between her, he held open her folds, giving him easy access to abuse her clit. Slow, lazy swirls around the sensitive nub had her breath catching as she struggled to stay a little quiet. 

A finger slipped inside her, curling just right. John kept up, lathing his tongue across her clit before pushing another finger in her, spreading her open. Any thought of staying quiet was lost as arousal burned bright inside her, building in a race towards an explosive finish. Still pumping his fingers into, John use his other hand to pull her hood back to have better access. The new sensation was enough to push her over the edge. Her hips bucked up into his mouth as she came, crying out in pleasure. He covered her mouth with his own, still tasting of her. She plunged her tongue into his mouth, wanting more of him but out of breath. Leaning to one side on his elbow, John grinned down at her, pleased with himself. 

"Hell of a good morning." Adeline gasped between breaths. John laughed and nuzzled at her neck, pulling her chemise down for her. 

"Felt like you probably needed it." He said against her skin. Breathing in his scent, she curled against him. She wanted to linger but knew Miss Grimshaw would be after her to get to work soon. There would be no doubt in anyone's mind she was awake after that performance. 

"Mmm, I always need you." It was pleasant just being against him. "Do you miss Arthur like I do?" She felt his head nod against her hair. 

"Yeah, yeah I do." He shifted to grab clothes for her. "But he'll be back soon. He's close." His words were reassuring. She began dressing, eyeing John as he shrugged into his suspenders and picked up his hat. Even as he said it, she could feel the pressure of Arthur nearby. Not quite finished buttoning up her dress, she stepped out of the tent, excited. His horse was just trotting into camp. She smiled, feeling like breath was returning to her at the sight of him. But he didn't look at her. Something was wrong. Anxiety, fuzzy around the edges. Worry wrapped in exhaustion. He toss a half smile to see her but didn't stop, marched across camp to Dutch's tent. Adeline trailed after him, curious and concerned. She suspected that Arthur hadn't slept last night. 

“We’re in another pack’s territory.” Arthur said before he even stopped walking. It didn’t sound like good news. Outside his tent, Dutch seemed less worried than he did. He paced a bit, waving his arm around. Arthur stopped abruptly, Adeline almost crashing into him, her hand curled around his sleeve to let him know she was behind him. He glanced over his shoulder at her and she tried to study his face before Dutch drew his gaze. 

“So? We’re just passing through, they shouldn’t-“

“It’s the O’Driscolls.” Arthur interrupted and Dutch turned to stone. When he turned to face Arthur, Adeline shrank behind him. The mask of rage didn’t look like Dutch anymore. He snarled a bit, looking away. Arthur’s arm went out, pushing Adeline further behind him protectively. 

“We’ll hunt them.” Dutch said, hoarse with anger. 

“Dutch, that ain’t a good idea.” Arthur argued. “We got too many non fighters to go starting a war between packs.”

“They already started this war! They started it when they _killed Annabelle_.” He hissed the words, gesturing wildly into the air. 

“You killed his brother, Dutch. You couldn’t think he wouldn’t retaliate.” There was an old, exhausted argument behind those words. 

“I’d kill a hundred more of his brothers!” Dutch screamed loud enough to draw Hosea close in.

“What the hell are you shouting for?” He asked, worried more than angry. Adeline glanced between him and Dutch, uncomfortable. The older man didn’t look at her, his attention focused solely on Dutch. 

“We’re in O’Driscoll territory.” Arthur explained. Hosea took a deep breath, nodding in understanding. 

“We need to keep moving then.” He said, turning to look for Miss Grimshaw. Dutch shook his head, reaching out to dig claws into the older man’s shirt. 

“We hunt them.” He repeated. “I am owed blood.” His jaw was tight and his teeth held together. 

"You're owed shit, Dutch." John yelled out, walking up. "We got too many people who can't fight, we ain't starting a fucking blood war with the O'Driscolls." His voice carried across the camp, drawing stares. Adeline wanted to shrink into Arthur's back. _People who can't fight_ , that'd be her. Not the she minded too much being a reason not to fight. Dutch turned his glare from Arthur to John. 

"So now you're against me?" He barked. John scowled, stepping closer to Arthur. He effectively blocked Adeline from Dutch's view, she realized. How out of control could Dutch get?

"I ain't against you! You ain't thinking!" He yelled back. Hosea stepped closer to Dutch, reaching out to rest a hand on the man's shoulder, trying to calm him. 

"Dutch," Hosea's voice warned. He seemed to visibly relax under Hosea's tone. Everyone did. Even Arthur's hand, reaching back to hold Adeline's arm, loosened its grip a bit. For a second, she could marvel that Hosea held such sway over so many strong willed people. When she peeked around Arthur, Dutch caught her gaze and suddenly seemed to remember her. Looking away from her at his feet for a second, he took a deep breath.

"Yes, I suppose you're right. We'll move on quickly. Stock up, rest for a few days, and be on our way." Rubbing at his face, he turned back into his tent. Whatever tension had built up seemed to slip away, leaving Adeline confused. 

"You keep John out of trouble while I was gone?" Arthur turned to smile at Adeline as if  
Dutch hadn't lost his mind a second ago. And of course they weren't going to tell her anything. Her eyes danced between the two men, both silently begging her to drop it. Scoffing in annoyance she shook her head and walked off. Frustrated enough to say something she'd regret, she picked up mending and plopped next to Abigail and Tilly. 

"Okay there, Addy?" Tilly asked, setting her washing down to look at the girl's stiff shoulders. 

"I just, I'm getting real sick of not understanding _anything_ and no one being willing to explain shit." She didn't mean to curse but her temper was up. "How am I supposed to fit in if I don't know what's going on?" Upset enough to not focus, she managed to accidentally stick her finger hard enough to bleed. Cursing again, she threw the clothing down and sucked on the drop of blood. Abigail and Tilly glanced between each other for a moment.

"Well, what do you need explained?" Abigail asked slowly. She still had a million questions to ask that she was certain they'd refuse to answer. Might as well ask something.

"Okay, so apparently there's a way to become a wolf? John used to be human? I just," she shook her head. "He won't even talk about it." When she looked over to the two women her words died in her chest. They looked horrified. Abigail shook the look off her face quickly, 

"Addy, we don't, you're not supposed to talk about it. Not in polite society, at least." She struggled to explain. Adeline felt bad now, to have brought it up. 

"We don't even know much about it, you'd have to ask an Alpha, or someone who'd gone through it." Tilly rushed to add. Well, Adeline know one Alpha who'd probably at least be honest with her. When she stood up, Abigail reached for her.

"Addy, maybe you don't want to know some things." The older woman tried to explain. Part of her knew she was right. John and Arthur wouldn't lie to her. Would they? 

"I already promised I wouldn't do it, but I want to know." She didn't look back at the women as she walked off. Charles would be on guard duty right now, she figured. 

It didn't take long to find him, he was standing under an old oak tree that tangled up into the canopy. He looked bored. When she stepped on a twig, his head swiveled but his shoulders relaxed when he caught sight of her. He had seemed to go out of his way to be kind to her since the bonding. She couldn't say she minded. 

"Adeline, what's up?" He asked, leaning back against the crackled bark. Suddenly she regretted coming out to bother him. 

"If I ask you a question, will you promise not to tell anyone about it?" She looked away as she asked, stepping over brush to stand next to him, mimicking his stance against the trunk. Charles shifted, studying her. She could feel his eyes on the side of her face. 

"Okay." There was curiosity in his voice. Her mouth went dry and she licked her lips nervously. 

"John said there was a way to be turned into a wolf," She would have continued but suddenly Charles was boxing her in, his arms on the tree caging her in. His eyes glowed gold staring her down. 

"You asking me? You think I’d do that?" It was a snarl and she wasn't sure why but he was angry. Her heart thudded against her ribs to have the Alpha breathing down at her like that. 

"No!' Her voice stuttered as she raised her hands to push him out of her space. His chest held like stone as he looked her down. "He wouldn't explain anything, and I promised not to but I just," Charles seemed to relax, but kept his arms up. "I wanted to know what I promised not to do." Her voice went quiet at the end. "No one explains anything to me and I just wanted to know. Why would it be so bad if I was a wolf? If I wanted it?" His eyes faded to a rich brown and he pulled away, picking up his rifle and walking off. 

"Not here." He growled as he stepped further away from camp. She tripped after him, having to pick up her skirts to keep from getting tangled in the undergrowth. What on earth could be so awful? It felt like such a simple question. They were nearly out of the woods surrounding camp before Charles stopped. He looked over his shoulder a couple of times before he pushed Adeline down onto a stump. 

"What did John tell you?" He set his gun back against a tree, watching her face as if she'd lie. 

"Nothing, just said it was awful and made me promise to never ask for it. I'm not asking for it! I just want to know what it is. Maybe I could talk to John, or"

"No." Charles stopped her. 

"I mean, if it's just pain maybe it would be so bad for long." She started to stand up, to argue her case only for Charles to rest on hand on her shoulder and hold her on the stump.

"It's not just pain, Adeline." A small growl caught in his throat. "You don't come out the same, we're born wolf. We grow up with wolf in our blood but being made, it's like a wolf crawls in your brain and eats half of who you are. You don't just deal with pain, you deal with who you are as a person being changed. Forever. I've seen someone go through it. Eaten alive, until almost dead. You don't want it. Some people don't even come through it, just catatonic until someone puts them out of their misery." His hands dug into her arms as he crouched to look her in the eye. "You think Arthur or John would let you do that to yourself? You might not be Adeline anymore afterwards." It took a long moment, being stared down like that, for her to find her words. 

"I already promised I wouldn't. I wasn't going to break my promise. I just wanted to know." She spoke carefully, repeating herself and finding some strength to stare back. Charles nodded, moving away from her. Giving her space. "Thank you for being honest with me." He was quiet now, picking up the rifle.

"Hell of a question to spring on my." He almost laughed, almost, and began walking back into the woods, closer to camp. 

"I'm sorry I don't know wolf etiquette yet." She said, mocking, following him. He shook his head, swearing. 

"Asking shit like that, I ain't surprised. Don't let Micah catch you asking that." His warning made her give a harsh laugh. She'd taken to keeping the jawbone knife on a sheath hidden under skirts. John had been so happy to wrap it around her thigh. Anytime she caught sight of the rotten Alpha she would imagine sinking the blade into his chest. 

"John forbid me from asking Arthur." He snorted at that. "Doesn't even want me to know it's an option." A bit of her annoyance bled into her words "I know they're just trying to protect me,"

"But it feels like lying?" Charles finished her thought, nodding. The oak tree loomed near and he was quick to rest under it. Adeline nodded in agreement with him. 

"I'm not a child, I'm just not a wolf." Grumpy at the idea, she slumped against the tree trunk. Charles was kind enough to let her sit in silence for a while. At least Miss Grimshaw probably wouldn't find her out here. 

She was wrong. Miss Grimshaw absolutely found her. Adeline suspected she had smelled her and tracked her down like a damn bloodhound. The Omega’s eyes flashed silver as she herded her back into camp, yelling the whole way. Sean was laughing at the sight until Miss Grimshaw’s eyes caught him and she turned her ire on the Irishman. Adeline took the chance to duck out and pretend like she’d been working on mending the whole time. Abigail and Tilly were silent for a long while, eyes on her. 

“Who’d you ask?” Tilly finally broke the silence.

“Charles.” Adeline responded, not looking up, fearing another sore finger if her attention wavered.

“He explain everything?” Abigail asked, prodding for further details. 

“Everything I asked. I just wish it wasn’t like pulling teeth to get straight answers around here.” She grumbled a bit. Bootsteps approached and all three woman looked up. Adeline’s face fell into a scowl when Micah walked up to them, grinning. 

“Hello, ladies. Beautiful day we’re having.” He was being very polite but Adeline didn’t drop the scowl. For a moment she considered sticking him with a needle, then remember she had a perfectly nice knife strapped to her thigh. 

“Micah.” Arthur’s voice grumbled low. The other outlaw glared at him and Micah was soon walking off. “Lamb, want to go fishing?” Arthur held a pole in his hand. 

“Miss Grimshaw will probably gut me if she catches me shirking more work anymore today.” She said, even as she dropped her work to the pile and grabbed up her satchel. Arthur’s eyes crinkled on the edges as he smiled at her, a real,deep, smile. Abigail’s laughter followed them as he helped her up on Buckshot and trotted out of camp.

“What were you doing instead of chores?” He asked like he didn’t actually think she’d shirked her work.

“Ask Charles something.” Her words were clipped but Arthur didn't seem to catch her tension.

"What are you asking Charles?" He was confused, like the idea that she talked to anyone was a surprise. Adeline shrugged and leaned against his back, moving with the horse's gate as it slowed to a walk beside the nearby river. 

"Things." Not waiting for him to ask another stupid question, she slid off Buckshot's rump and walked to the water's edge. Arthur hitched his horse to a small tree and joined her, pulling out his pole. 

"Things you couldn't ask me?" He sounded hurt. Adeline snorted, he was hurt she hadn't asked him? What a fool her mate was. 

"I'm allowed to have friends who ain't you." She snipped. Arthur swallowed a comeback, fixing a shiny lure to the end of his line. 

"I didn't say you weren't. If you had questions, why couldn't you ask me?" He tossed the line in, leaning back on one foot as he settled in. 

"What happened back there with Dutch? Was he about to go crazy or something?" She turned her head to watch his face. His hat dipped down, hiding his face and he was silent for a long minute. "Yeah, that's why. I actually want an answer to my questions occasionally."

"He wouldn't have hurt you." Arthur's voice was rough, he was fighting with himself. "Dutch wouldn't,"

"I didn't ask if he would hurt me." With a sigh, she sat on a nearby rock, watching the current crash around the sandbanks, 

"O'Driscoll's killed his mate. When a wolf's mate is killed, they can go crazy, lose their grip on what's real and what's not." His jaw clenched as he spoke and Adeline watched him, her eyes trained on his tensing muscles. "A wolf mates for life, Lamb. I don't know how that Adler woman is doing so well, but Dutch didn't. It took a long while for him to come back to himself." He let out a long, heavy sigh. "If he starts trying to fight O'Driscoll's, it's not going to end well for anybody." The silence hung in the air around them for a long while. 

"Is that what you were asking Charles?" He broke it himself. Adeline curled her knees up to her chest and shook her head, wrapping her arms around herself. 

"No. It wasn't." John had asked her not to tell Arthur. It didn't feel like a promise she could keep. Arthur peeked over at her from underneath his hat. 

"Then what?" He was curious now, not insulted. Adeline sighed, looking away from him.

"About how it's possible to become a wolf." Her lips pressed into a hard line when she heard the fishing pole get tossed to the ground. "Don't go getting all pissed off. I already promised I wouldn't do it. I just wanted to know what it was. Charles was pretty clear it was a bad idea."

"I'd fucking hope so." His growl was low and in his chest. "Lamb."

"Why'd you lie to me?" She twisted on the rock, glaring at him. "You said I wouldn't turn." Arthur blushed, taking a step back. 

"I didn't lie,"

"You just didn't tell me the whole truth. Same as lying." She climbed off the rock, stalking towards him. "I left everything behind because I love you and John. I've given up everything, happily! The least you can do is be honest with me."

"Maybe I would if I didn't think you'd go and do any stupid shit you could think of!" He yelled right back at her, his eyes going gold as he shouted. "I ain't going to let you get twisted up into nothing just because you think it'd be better. You don't understand anything!" Adeline let her hand fly, a loud smack ringing over the sound of rushing water as her palm connected with Arthur's cheek. A red print bloomed livid where she'd hit.

"If I don't understand anything then it's your fault!" Sick of this argument, she stormed off down the road, kicking a rock out of her way as she went. 

"Don't you just walk off!" He called after her, his boots scrambling against the gravel as he chased her.

"Fuck off!" She responded. Her tongue burned with the curse and she meant it right then.

"Lamb, where the hell you going anyways?" His anger had dissipated some but she still felt it roiling inside her. 

"I don't know, away from you for a while." She snarled at him as he got closer to her. Arthur rubbed his face with his hand, groaning to himself. 

"Alright, look. Take Buckshot into town and cool off for a day or two." He offered. It was enough to make her pause, but the glare was pinned to her face fast. With a whistle, Buckshot was trotting over. She was indignant at the suggestion to cool off, but it was an offer to be away from him and right then, that's what she wanted. She mounted up without difficulty, anger making her more sure. Arthur's hand rested on her knee for a moment. 

"I only do shit because I think it'll protect you." He growled, trying very hard not to shout.

"I'm not a child. I want to be beside you, not behind you." Sure she'd say something mean, she pulled the reins sharper than she should and rode up the trail, leaving Arthur to walk back to camp alone. 

The ride to town was enough to make her annoyed with herself. Maybe she wasn't handling things as well as she thought. The town near camp was dirty, grimy in a way that clung to everything. The street was just mud, even though it hadn't rained in a few days. Maybe not just mud, judging by the smell.

The hotel didn't smell, though and they even offered a bath. She enjoyed the hot bath, steam circling above her head as she scrubbed dirt out of her skin. Her hand grazed along the scars at her shoulders, letting her thumb slip against the skin. They would have to talk this out when she returned to camp, it wasn't something that could be left to fester. But for now, she would enjoy a little luxury.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone, please god, help me write summaries for these things. I am atrocious.


	4. Chapter 4

Valentine was a small town, not much to speak of except too many sheep and too many lonely men. She suspected if she got a wedding ring a few might leave her alone. It would be something to discuss with Arthur. She rankled a bit at the thought of him, was she still mad at him? He’d only been trying to protect her. But the road to hell was paved with good intentions. Why had she mated such idiots? It was a half hearted grumble at best, and Adeline knew it. 

The saloon’s food was decent enough, at least it wasn’t the same, repetitive stew Pearson made. She didn’t care for the eyes on her as she ate, but it was easy enough to ignore and no one approached her. Her mind wandered back to her old home, how she used to eat lunch alone every day. Walk home alone every day. It wasn’t better, she decided. If she could manage to keep her emotions in check and have a reasonable, genteel conversation with Arthur, she was sure they could talk through it. But she wasn’t quite ready for that yet. Instead, she walked next door and stepped into the general store. 

It was about the same size as her old shop had been, though less well stocked for women. A town like Valentine probably didn’t have very many women to stock for. Her eyes landed on a heavy winter coat, thick fur at the collar and shoulders. She wasn’t sure what animal the fur came from, but the color reminded her of Arthur’s coat when he shifted. Her thumb rubbed through the fur, disappointed it wasn’t as soft as his, but she found herself buying it anyways. It might be too heavy to wear now, but the bitter cold of the mountains was still stuck in her memory. 

After stowing the coat on Buckshot, she glanced through the stables, tempted to get a horse. Something small maybe? Her bravery around horse flesh ended the second she glanced at the stalls. No, better to let Arthur pick one out for her. He’d be so damn smug about it if she actually asked him, though. Letting her mind wander enough to distract herself, she mounted up on Buckshot and considered wandering back to camp. But the sun was starting to set, and she’d gone the long way and the idea of sleeping by herself under the stars was alluring for the moment. At the edge of her steadily calming emotions, she felt Arthur and John. A sensation of pounding hearts and pressing skin overwhelmed her and almost made her laugh. Maybe they’d enjoy some alone time too. They were so attentive to her needs, hardly every addressing their own. It felt selfish. That would be one more thing to talk about, but far less upsetting. 

Buckshot’s saddle bags had plenty of provisions for a single night, and a spare bedroll tied to the saddle. Wouldn’t need a tent tonight, at least. Not with a clear, open sky and her new, very warm coat to snuggle into. She could close her eyes and pretend she was curled up against John. He always seemed to like it best when she used him as a pillow. The idea was comforting and she drifted off, watching shooting stars above her. 

Buckshot snorting woke her up. The sky was still dark, stars still scattered above her. The horse nudged at her, huffing in her ear and lipping at her hair, pulling her awake. He stomped near her then picked his head up, looking at something. Going stock still, his nostrils flared for a minute before returning to annoying her to her feet.

“What is it, you monster?” She shoved his head away, standing up to look around. There was nothing she could see about on the open plains. His bridle jingled a bit as he shook his neck and butted his head against her again. Something had the generally placid beast spooked and Adeline wasn’t foolish enough to ignore it. She moved to check his saddle and tie the bedroll back on but before she could the baying of a hound carried on the wind. It made her heart run cold. 

She couldn’t see it yet. At least the open plains afforded her an early warning if she could keep her eyes peeled. Mounting up, more clumsy than she’d like, Adeline urged the horse down the trail. They couldn’t say she was a wolf, but the hound would surely hit on her. Hit on Buckshot. The horse, they must be tracking the horse. Surely she didn’t carry so much of the scent on her. Her mind raced at what to do, couldn’t let Buckshot run off, he’d simply head back to camp and lead the Hunter right to the pack. If they caught up to her, it might be someone who recognized her. 

A large oak shaded the road, just past the swell of a hill. Thinking to divest herself from the horse, and the hound tracking it, she dismounted and hitched Buckshot to the tree. Once the Hunters found the horse and no wolf, they’d move on. Surely they would. She ran up the road, wouldn’t work any if they found her near the horse. She ran until the tree was out of sight. Hiding off the road in a berry bush, she ignored the pricks and pulls of thorns and held her breath. 

The baying didn’t stop. It should have. It shouldn’t keep getting closer, but it did. Her plan hadn’t worked, the damn dog was tracking her. A farmhouse was in the distance, maybe she could make it before they caught her. It’d be easy enough to hide in a barn. If she got a little bit lucky the farmer might wake and run the Hunters off. The bay of a hound wasn’t far off, close enough she could hear the shouts of its masters in response. Picking up her skirts in one hand, she began running low across the open field. Surely she stuck out like a sore thumb but at least it wasn’t a full moon. No, the moon was just a sliver tonight, anemic light barely enough for her to trip her way to the barn. 

Her hands yanked uselessly at the barn door, finding it latched tight. What fool farmer locked his damn barn closed? She cursed him and his entire family as she circled the building, looking for anywhere to hide. The baying grew closer, dangerously close. The only hope she had to keep free of the dumb beasts teeth was the overhang of a run in built against the side of the barn. Crates stacked high against the wall made it easy to scramble up but as she found a grip on the slanted roof, the hound found her. It leapt and nipped at her feet, awkwardly trying to scramble up after her.

The bloodhound leapt at her, snarling like it wanted to rip her apart. She scrambled to tuck her feet under her skirts, pressed as far back on the overhang as she could manage. The dog still tried it's hardest to get to her. It clumsily tried to climb the precariously stacked crates but fell back. Adeline dared to crawl to the edge and kick the crates over, cutting off her exit but keeping the dog away. It howled, baying really. Nothing like a real howl she thought bitterly. Calling the Hunters right to her. Her eyes flitted around her, looking for an exit but there was nothing. There was no way out. She was trapped. In the distance, two riders peeled off from the trees. One held a lantern up. 

As they neared, she recognized the one holding the lantern. Sanford. He recognized her as well, his face screwed up in concern and confusion as the light shone over her. The other rider, was an older Hunter with gray hair and wide brimmed hat. He called to the hound and it trotted over, listening to its master. 

"Miss, is that you?" Sanford called out only for the Hunter to hush him and glare up at her. Maybe Sanford would treat her kindly, but it was clear from the look in his eye the older Hunter saw her as an animal. Adeline took a breath to steady her nerves and tried to curl even smaller against the side of the barn. 

"Come down here." He said, his voice stiff.

"You going to shoot me if I come down?" She called back, glad her voice didn't shake. His hand moved to his hip and leveled a pistol at her, Sanford complaining and arguing in her favor. Part of her was annoyed at how she didn't feel any fear staring down a gun anymore. A skill was a skill, she told herself. 

"I'll shoot you if you don't come down." He said, plain, almost bored with her. Heaven forbid she _bore_ him. 

"You'll forgive me if I don't care for those odds." Adeline called back, shrinking against the barn wall as much as she could. "Not sure why I'd make you shooting me _easier_."

"Miss, please come down. We're not going to hurt you." Sandford stepped his horse closer, the older Hunter glaring at him. 

"If she's a bitch wolf, boy, we are sure as shitfire are going to hurt her. A lot." The old man spit. At least he was honest, if rude.

"She's not a wolf, I've met her before. She was in the last town, back out west." He tried to plead with the other. Adeline sucked in a breath and held it as the old man stared Sanford down. 

"If she ain't a wolf, then why'd the hound scent on her? If she ain't a wolf, she's with them." He still held his gun on her. In the light of the lantern she could just make out that his finger was on the trigger. 

"I don't know, but I know she ain't a wolf." He pleaded now, very nearly begging without actually saying please. For a minute they sat in a tense, ugly silence. Suddenly the old man holstered his pistol. 

"Alright, if you come down here, and you ain't a wolf, we won't hurt you." He leaned back in the saddle, still not convinced. Adeline weighed her options before realizing she didn't have any. With a defeated sigh, she moved to the edge of the overhang. Her fingers scrambled across rough shingles as her feet reached down for the crates. Finding nothing, her hands slipped and she landed hard on the muddy ground. The old man tossed a length of rope to Sanford and motioned to Adeline. 

"Tie her up, boy." Sanford looked like he wanted to argue but thought better of it. Maybe he wasn't as stupid as Adeline thought. He hooked his lantern on his saddle before climbing down. "And take her bag." The man added as Sanford stepped closer. Adeline grabbed at the strap of her satchel, taking a step back from the younger Hunter. The hound gave a low growl, his hackles up as he stared her down. Her eyes cut to the creature. It was lusting for her blood, surely. 

"I'm sorry, Miss." Sanford said, sounding truly regretful. He reached out, pulling the bag off her shoulder. The strap slipped from her fingers and he slung it over one shoulder before grabbing up her hands and pulling them behind her back. He tried to be gentle but still tied the rope tight enough to make her hands feel too cold. 

"You're in the wrong line of work, boy." She said, low enough only he heard it. The older Hunter was gray enough, Adeline suspected his hearing wasn't what it used to be. Sanford sagged a bit under her words, stepping away and refusing to look at her as he set her bag beside his horse. The old Hunter dismounted, pulling a small knife from his belt. Adeline flinched back, unsure exactly what he was going to do to her. He held the small blade up, it was a dull gray color. 

"Iron blade. If you're a wolf, just touching this'll send you into a fit." He smirked, the corner of his mustache lifting up as his lip curled. He was in the right line of work. Adeline stepped back, fearing the cut of dull iron. The Hunter grabbed her by her upper arm and forced her to her knees. "I ain't gonna cut you, girl. Don't have to." Frustration laced his words and his hand was tight enough to bruise around her arm. He pressed the flat of the knife against her cheek. It was cold but not uncomfortable. Holding it there for a long, silent moment he pulled it back and pressed it again. He repeated the action a few more times before letting go of her arm and taking a step back. 

“You’re not a wolf.” The Hunter with the long mustache snarled as he looked her face over. He seemed angry at being wrong. His fingers dug into her jaw hard enough to bruise while she glared daggers at him. Sanford stood behind the older man, watching her with confusion.

“No, I'm not." Adeline hissed, eyes burning holes into him.

"Sir, I tried to tell you." Sandford stammered, trying to come to her defense. Bless his stupid heart. "She ain't a wolf, I know her. She was,"

"Yes, you said already. She was at the other town." The older man snapped, interrupting him. "Don't that strike you as odd? Same woman, shows up in two towns swarming with wolves?" Adeline gave a quiet snort. The towns had hardly been _swarming_. What would he think if the entire pack descended on them? His eyes trailed down to her neck and he released his hold on her face only to grab her dress collar and pull it sharply down. It startled her and knocked her forward. She struggled for a moment to keep from tipping forward. While she fought for balance without her hands to help, the Hunter’s hand jerked the collar of her shirt to one side. A button popped off with the force of his tug. She was mostly angry at his presumptuous behavior and ruining a perfectly good dress. It wasn't like she owned enough to spare. 

“But you’re claimed.” He said, a leather cased finger slid against the newly formed scar tissue, still pink and shiny.

“That I am.” She almost felt smug about it. His tone made it clear he was confused and a little afraid. Sanford took a step back from them, his hands loosening their grip on his rifle. His eyes had gone big as saucers as he looked at Adeline, silently begging her for it to be a lie. She wasn't a cruel person but part of her enjoyed hurting the young Hunter just a bit. “Check the other shoulder.” The rise of the older hunter's brow when he saw the second scar was satisfying. 

“Two...” It was a hushed whisper. 

"Is that even possible?" Sanford's voice shook, looking to the older hunter. The taller man didn't answer.

“Yep.” Sharp on the word, Adeline pressed her lips together in a tight line. If they didn't know, she was happy to educate them. The older Hunter stood up, shoving her back and knocking her off her knees to her ass. She landed with a harsh huff. Sanford looked between her and the old man as he stepped to his horse, checking the guns in their holsters and then he went through his saddle bags. Pulling out boxes of ammunition he began loading up his bandolier. Though his hands were steady, Adeline could read the tension in his spine. She could practically smell the fear in him. 

“I have never, in my career, seen two wolves claiming the same person. Let alone a human.” He snarled, disdain dripping from his voice. Sanford listened, fear plain on his face. His hands were trembling just a bit. With a jerk of his shoulder, the old Hunter pulled his shotgun out from its holster on the saddle. "They're going to track us down for sure now, boy. Wolves don't fuck around when it comes to their claimed." Cracking open the breach action, he loaded shells into it in a big damn hurry. “Do they fuck you at the same time?” The question was one of revulsion. Adeline only glared up at him, her lips still drawn tight. Closing the breach action the Hunter held onto the shotgun instead of reholstering it. He was afraid to his soul. It made her glad. 

A low heavy howl rang over the plains, far away still. Sanford sucked in a breath, trying to swallow a whimper. Adeline cocked her head to one side, trying to pick out who it was. Probably Arthur, but she wasn’t near good enough to trust her guess. A smile spread across her face as she watched the old Hunter grow pale. She couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her. Pure glee at seeing him afraid was bubbling inside her. A second howl, higher pitched, called out. Maybe a little closer? It was hard to tell, the sound echoing. In response, she tilted her head back and let out her own howl. They were probably close enough to hear it. The Hunter spun on his heels and pointed the shotgun at her.

“What are you?” His hands were shaking a bit now. Sanford had pulled in on himself, shrinking against the horse. He looked even more gangly and young than he had before, if that was possible. 

“You were right the first time, Sir. I’m a bitch.” Her grin grew cruel as a howl responded to hers. John’s howl. The older Hunter pulled his pistol from his hip and held it aloft, firing three shots in quick succession.

"I ain't fighting a whole god damned pack alone." He cursed, his hands shaking now as he tried to reload the three shots he'd spent. "Fuck you, Luke. This bitch ain't human." Sanford tried to stutter out a response but his eyes, big as saucers, kept looking back to her. In a sudden fit, he was self possessed enough to scramble up onto the horse and kick it hard. The poor beast, already unnerved, took off like a shot with the young man clinging to its back. Adeline was glad to see him go, he was young. He deserved a chance to make better choices. 

"Luke! You yellow-bellied coward! Damn you!" The old Hunter took a few steps as if to chase him but stopped, looking back at Adeline still sitting in the dirt. A baying rang out and a smile twisted his mustache up. "Ha, your pack is screwed now." Adeline looked to the hounds crying, a group of five or six riders was thundering towards them. The hound beside the old Hunter barked in excitement, calling to the other dogs. On the other side of the field another howl went up. Adeline and the old Hunter looked at the same time, their faces bearing opposite expressions. Her heart leapt at the sight of the wolves racing towards her. John was always the fastest, a black streak across the field ahead of the pack. When she made a move to climb to her feet the old Hunter kicked her back to the ground.

Shots rang out and Adeline curled against the ground to stay as low as possible. The horses of the riders thundered past her, her eyes squeezed shut hoping the hooves wouldn't smash her head in. The sound of gunshots was close and too loud and when she dared to open her eyes, it was a horror show before her. Wolves were ripping men from their horses, claws flashing in the moonlight as blood was spilled across the dark soil. The Hunters were firing point blank at wolves. One wolf fell, half its face a mass of blood and gore. Adeline recognize the russet fur of Sean and swallowed hard to see him whine in pain and claw at his face. Her eyes looked around the fight, seeing that her satchel was where Sanford had left it. 

In the confusion of the pack descending on the Hunters, Adeline scrambled as best she could towards it. It lay, half open with its contents splayed in the dirt. Her knife was there, tucked away after her bath thinking she wouldn’t need it. She cursed her short sightedness. Let her never be without her knife again. It taunted her as she tried to climb to her feet while also staying low to avoid being shot. A gun went off near her, loud enough her ears were ringing and a hot pain seared across the back of her calf. The leg didn't give out so she assumed it was just a graze. It could hurt all it wanted as long as it still functioned. Throwing herself close to the knife, she fumbled in the dirt until her hands closed around the blade. Struggling to position it enough to cut through the ropes, it grew slick in her hands, hard to hold onto. 

After a lifetime of holding her breath and hoping she didn't get shot, the ropes finally frayed enough she was able to rip them the rest of the way and bring her hands in front of her. Her shoulders ached a bit, but she ignored that. In front of her, a Hunter shoved Lenny to the ground. The black wolf snapped and snarled and clawed at him, but the Hunter had a foot planted on his chest and was aiming a shotgun at his head. Flinging herself onto the back of the Hunter, she plunged the knife into his neck. Her hands scrambling to hold on, still too slick and slippery. He easily threw her off his back with a wide swing of his arm. She landed on her back, the air knocked out of her for a minute. It was enough for Lenny to scramble away. 

The Hunter reached to stem the blood pouring from his neck. The shotgun fell from his grasp and Adeline rushed for it. A loud shotgun blast behind her and Arthur fell hard, the wind knocked out of him along with a chunk of his side from the shotgun blast. John was busy with his own fight and though he made a cry when Arthur fell, he couldn’t get to him. Adeline felt her heart seize when Arthur went down. A scattered, white hot pain flared in her side for a second before fading out. She rammed her shoulder into the gut of the Hunter before her. He fell to the ground, still trying to fight the stem of blood. Stomping a booted foot onto his chest, she snarled down at him before firing a shot off into his daze face. His head splattered out across the ground. Rushing through the fight, she skidded across the ground to where Arthur lay clutching his side. He wheezed in pain as she looked down at him only for his gold eyes to shift behind her. 

A Hunter had his rifle raised at Arthur’s prone form. Adeline gave a feral yell and threw herself at the man. The shotgun was left behind, empty, she’d dropped it when she’d attacked, but her hands worked well enough even if there were slick. They fought over the rifle until it went off in the scuffle. The Hunter froze and Adeline took the moment to knock him over and wrap her hands around his throat. Blood streaked across his neck and she wasn't sure who's it was. 

Silence fell over the fight as the pack members won their fights. The man beneath Adeline beat at her arms but through the haze of red in her eyes, she kept her fingers tight around his throat. As his movements slowly stilled underneath her, despite his desperate efforts to buck her off, her hands cramped she was holding so hard. 

“Adeline, he’s dead already.” John spoke low, standing over her. A cold, wet nose pressed against her arm. She snarled for a minute, looking between John and the man beneath her before letting go and standing up shakily. “You're shot?” John asked, suddenly concerned. 

“No, the rifle just went off. I'm fine." She waved off his concern, still high strung from the fight and breathing hard. Arthur pressed his head under her arm until it was hooked over the back of his shaggy neck.

“No, I mean, you got shot.” John corrected her, his hands moving to her side where blood was quickly soaking into her shirt. Once he said it, she felt the white hot sting of the hole in her side. She looked down at it, her free hand moving to cover the flow and quickly being coated in warm redness.

“Oh. I did.” She managed to say, feeling a coldness slip into her face and hands. “Well, damn.” The words left her as she felt herself slip away. Her grip on Arthur's fur weakened until she couldn't feel it anymore. Far away from her, she could hear them calling her name. Murky and muffled above her as if she were dropping into ice cold water, drifting away from their voices.


	5. Chapter 5

Her dreams were fitful. Pain pulled in her, making her want to moan but she had no voice. She wanted to twist, move away from the pain in her side but she couldn't move. Then she was running, out of breath, flashes of trees and dirt and fur and teeth and what was a dream and what was real? None of it was real. She dreamed she was in her old home, before it burned. Barefoot in the yard, feet caked with dirt and skin bare against the cool night sky. She knew her mother was inside their small home behind her, asleep. Above her the moon hung, big and swollen. Too big and too close, she felt if she wanted she could reach up and touch it. Her hand strayed up to the moon and her fingertips grazed across it's rough surface, an electricity shocking through her arm at the contact. Inside her head a high pitched howl, thready and different than the ones she'd heard before, rang enough to rattle her teeth. Steadying herself, she pressed her palm flat against it, feeling a pull to it. Like standing chest deep in water and feeling the waves and current pull her deeper, the moon was pulling her to it. 

"She fought like a wolf." Arthur's voice was behind her. She turned away from the brightness of the moon to search for him but found nothing. 

"She fought like an Omega. I thought she was going to rip that man's throat out with her teeth." John argued with him, laughing. Their voices were coming from inside the house. Lights flickered in the windows and she took the steps to the porch two at a time, throwing open the front door. The door opened to them standing above her, Adeline aching on an uncomfortable cot unable to even call out to them.

"God," Arthur collapsed back into a chair beside her bed, holding his face in his hands. "How'd they find her, anyways?" She struggled against her immobility, wanting to scream the answer to his question. The best she could manage was a small squeak but it was enough to get them to both look at her. 

"Addy, you awake?" John stepped closer, leaning over her. As he moved in, she felt herself slipping away again, desperate not to leave them. "Get Grimshaw." Arthur's voice faded out again. She was thrown back hard into the dirt, leaves sticking to her side as she rolled onto her knees before standing. Her hands dug into the damp ground as she struggled upwards. What hell was this? Was she dead? She didn't feel dead. The house was next to her still, she'd only been pulled back a few feet. As her foot hit the bottom step, a jostling pain wracked her side, making her curl around her middle and stumbled against the steps. 

"Careful, you oaf." Abigail's voice was sharp, angry at someone. No, she wasn't dead. Adeline suspected being dead wouldn't hurt this much. She crawled to the door this time, her side pulling like a hot poker was still jabbed in her. The world rocked and bumped around her. When she pushed open the door every rough bump making the poker dig deeper in her side. She was in a wagon, unable to move still. The wagon hit a hole and lurched to the side roughly and that poker twisted in her. A pained groan was pulled out of her, enough to make her curl to the side. Hands were on her, trying to keep her from moving too much. 

"Uncle, you worthless fucking idiot, keep the wagon steady!" John cursed above her. His hand felt like ice against her bare skin. "Addy?" She could just see his worried eyes looking down at her, but it was too bright and she winced against the light. All this over a single bullet in her side? Hardly seemed proportional. But the wagon rocked hard again and the pain exploded behind her eyes. 

Again she found herself on the dirt in front of her home, the moon too close and pulling her a little too strongly. She snarled at it, annoyed now. Who exactly did the moon think it was to pull her so? As she tried to step forward, her feet sank into the dirt. What was once solid was slowly oozing up her legs, holding her down. She had to use two hands to help pull one leg then the other out of the muck. Every step she took made her sink deeper and deeper into the dirt until she was up to her shoulders in it. She managed to get a hand on the railing of the stairs, grunting in effort as she tried to pull herself onto the porch. 

“Lamb, Jesus fuck. Lamb.” Arthur sounded like he was crying. The sound ripped through her, his own pain hurting her even now. It felt like his heart was cracking in half. 

“Adeline!” John’s voice was sharp, angry. “Don’t you fucking dare.” It was low and in her ear, a hissed warning. 

“I’m not! You ass.” She shrieked back, angry at everything that brought her here. If she ever met another Hunter she would rip his god damned throat out. Managing to hook her elbow around the railing slat, she dragged herself onto the steps, out of the thick mire that had been pulling her down. Taking a deep breath, arm still wrapped around her side, she launched herself up the steps of the porch before throwing her shoulder into the door. It swung open, slamming against the wall as she fell forward. Aching in her side pulled her into reality. For a moment she fought back against restraints that turned out to only be tangled sheets. She was sweaty, and everything hurt, and she felt weak as a kitten. Struggling to stay calm enough to catch her breath, she looked around. 

Still inside their tent, the view out the flap was different. She could see trees, and a lake reflecting the sunrise. They must have moved while she was out. How much of what she’d seen was real? How long had she been out? It only felt like a few minutes, maybe an hour. To one side of the tent, Arthur sat slumped in a chair, his hat set aside. Judging by the stubble on his face, at least a few days had passed. God, even asleep he looked exhausted. She’d have to complain at him about that. He never slept enough, in her opinion. When she shifted to sit up, her side pulled and she caught herself with a small grunt. Arthur jerked awake, a scared look on his face for the split second before he realized she was conscious. He was quick to jump to her side, helping her sit up with a strong arm across her back. It felt like she hadn’t seen him in years. 

"Take it easy now." Listening to him, Adeline took a pained breath and tried to gather her wits before moving again.

“Am I alive?” Her voice was a croak, her throat sore and dry. 

“Just barely.” Arthur said. He made sure she was steady on her own before bringing a cup of water to her lips. The second the water touched her lips, Adeline scrambled to grasp it and gulp it down. It was as if she hadn’t had a drink in days. She supposed she probably hadn’t. Cold rivulets of water spilled down her chin, sending a chill through her that she shivered against. Once the cup was drained, she gasped for air.

“You’ve been out of it for almost five days.” Arthur said calmly as he took the cup from her. “You got an infection in that gut shot of yours and nearly died.” He helped Adeline pull back the sheets of the bed to look at her injury. Gingerly, Adeline peeled back some of the bandages on her ribs to see a raw, red wound stitched closed with a neat hand. She sighed heavily, looking away. Arthur’s hand rubbed reassuring circles against her back. 

"Are you okay?” Adeline finally said once she felt a little more steady. Arthur snorted in a small laugh.

"I'm fine, Lamb." Relief was plain in his entire body as he watched her settle into wakefulness. She suspected he hadn't slept any while she'd been out of it. “I’ll bring up some fresh water for you. Feel up to food too?” 

“Yeah, maybe a little.” Adeline swallowed. The world still felt less than solid and her side pulled and hurt with every slow breath. Arthur nodded and headed out of the room. When the door opened again, she expected Arthur bringing a new pitcher of water but instead John stepped inside. He seemed surprised she was sitting up, smiling at him. 

“Hey! Good to see you upright.” He said, pulling a chair over to sit next to her bed. “Addy, you protected Arthur.” She wasn’t sure where he was going with his comment but he was clearly displeased. What an absurd thing to be upset about. And he felt immediately upon waking was the best time to fuss at her about it?

“Well, he wasn’t doing a good job of it himself.” She snapped back and John laughed a little, shaking his head.

“No, he wasn’t. But Adeline, you’re human. Arthur’s a wolf, he heals faster than you. If it comes down to it, it’s better for him to get shot than you.” He tried to explain things to her but Adeline shook her head. Was she mated to complete fools? What a dumb question, of course she was. 

“I don’t think I have it in me to just let someone get hurt if I can stop it.” She looked at him with disbelief. "Especially if they're getting hurt _because_ of me. The whole pack was fighting for me! Hell, Sean got his, oh god is Sean okay?" The image of his half shot face was livid in her mind and her hand went to cover her mouth. John reached out, his touch stilling her worries as he pulled her hand down. 

"Sean is fine and as big a loudmouth as ever." He reassured her, a sad smile on his face. "Lenny said you saved his life." 

"How'd you find me?" She asked, feeling out of breath just from sitting up. John shook his head, leaning in to touch his forehead to hers. It was familiar and reassuring. Her eyes prickled a bit, tears threatening to fall. 

"Every wolf know what it feels like to be chased." He whispered. "We weren't going to leave you to their mercy." His hand reached up to wipe at the tears that had escaped. 

"You should lie down, Lamb. You're still real weak." Arthur's voice cautioned as he stepped into the tent. Though he chided her, his voice held only concern. 

“Let me have a bite of food first,” She argued, reaching out for the bowl he held. It wasn’t much, a meager broth really, but probably all she could keep down. After a few minutes the bowl itself felt too heavy in her hand and she was forced to set it aside, lest she spill it on herself. Her stomach didn’t pang in hunger like it had been though, it was enough until she had rested. “You wouldn’t think I’d feel so tired, having been out of it for five days.” 

“You were in and out of it for a bit.” John admitted. “Got real bad there for a bit, when the fever took you. But you were cursing at me even half dead.” He laughed but Arthur scowled at him. 

It was another two days until she felt able enough to sit up and walk a bit. Her legs shook like a newborn foal’s the first couple of times but they steadied quickly. Arthur had argued with her when she said she was well enough to help out. He'd been treating her like glass since her fever had broken, guilt in ever crease of his face. She'd huffed and narrowed her eyes and John had brought her a small pile of mending she could work on from her bed. It'd been a reasonable compromise. Arthur had threatened to come back to their tent and take it all away if he thought she was exerting herself too much. So she was trying very hard to look like she felt better than she really did. When Sadie sat down beside her, she'd taken the small moment to set her work down and smile as the woman moved a crate close to her cot. 

"Next full moon, I'm joining the pack." She'd explained. The thought had made a grin spread across Adeline's face.

"That's wonderful, I'm real happy you are." She'd had to lean to reach for the canteen of water Arthur had left her. Sadie moved to hand it to her. 

"Well, after that last fight with the Hunters, I figure I'm better off with a pack. You fought good." She commented. Adeline gave a sad smile, her hand slipping to her side. It still hurt if she pushed herself to much. 

"Still got shot." Sadie shook her head at the argument.

"And since you bonded recently too, I was wondering if you could make some suggestions." When her meaning sank in, Adeline choked on her mouthful of water. Sadie laughed, patting her back to help her until she was able to suck in air.

"Sorry, I wasn't expecting that." Taking a minute to catch her breath, she looked around the camp, thinking. "Charles."

"Got a thing for Alphas, huh?" Sadie smirked. Adeline blushed at the suggestion, picking her mending back up, contemplating sticking Sadie with the needle. "He's certainly an entire meal." 

“He’s careful, got a lot of self control.” She tried to explain but Sadie only shook her head, a smile playing on her lips.

“You ain’t gotta come up with excuses. You’re mated, not dead.” Her laugh was a hollow bark. “You gonna participate in the bonding?” Adeline nodded her head yes as she went back to mending. 

“Of course, as best I’m able.” _As much as Arthur would let her_ she grumbled to herself. He was going to drive her nuts. Even if he did have a point. She had to take a second to rub at her eyes and shake out her hand. Her hand moved to set the mending down, a yawn fighting its way into her throat. Arthur burst into the tent, ready to yell but surprised to see Sadie there. 

“Mrs. Adler.” He gave a small tip of his hat to her before his eyes looked at Adeline, evaluating her. “If you’d be so good as to leave Adeline be for a while? I think she needs a rest.” Sadie quickly agreed, stepping out of the tent in a couple long strides.

“You weren’t overdoing it, were you?” He asked, standing over the bed, looming beside her. 

“Probably. Arthur, you can’t be my damn nursemaid or I’m going to stab you in the throat and put us both out of our misery.” She was curling up in bed as she spoke. As annoying as he was, he wasn’t wrong. Arthur rubbed his face, sitting on the end of the bed with a tired sigh. 

“I know, Lamb.” He finally drawled. “I just, you got shot defending me. You weren’t with the pack like you should have been, because of me. Watching you almost die in that bed...” Adeline reached out to take his hand pulling him to her. After a moment of insistent tugging, he finally set his hat aside and laid down beside her. She pulled his head to her chest, carding fingers through his messy hair as she held him. Arthur pressed against her, sloughing off worry as he listened to her heartbeat. 

“I wasn’t about to leave you two. Even if you do drive me to madness sometimes.” His arms wrapped around her middle carefully, minding the still tender gunshot. She imagined it would be tender for a long while. A long, ragged sigh left him as he held her. Her lips pressed against his head, wishing she could take away the worry that seemed to plague him. "I'd crawl out of hell to get back to you." She promised, hoping he believed her. His hands curled against her clothes, balling the fabric tight. "Now, I'll take a nap if you nap with me." 

When she finally left the tent to get her own breakfast the rest of the pack was ecstatic. Sean came running up behind her, grabbing her up in a bear hug and shaking her about until she squeeked. 

"Human! It's good to see you up!" He set her down, a toothy grin on his face. Her eyes trailed to the side of his face where fresh scars scattered along his jaw and beside his ear. Not realizing her hand was straying up to feel the marks, it startled her when Sean grabbed her hand. His face softened, a little bit of jest gone. "Oh, don't you be worrying about that. Wolves heal just fine. Not going down because of some buckshot." Adeline looked away from him. She certainly went down because of one damn bullet. Sean seemed to realize what he'd said and fumbled over trying to change the subject. 

"You could eat your entire foot before realizing it." Karen shouted at him, walking up to pull Adeline away from the flustered redhead. "Let's get you some food" She said cheerily, pushing the girl into a chair before stepping away to grab some stew of Pearson’s. Abigail sat down next to her, carefully hugging her. A bit of contrast to Sean’s exuberant hello. 

“Those boys hardly let anyone near you.” She smirked. “Glad they finally let you up.” Adeline smiled in agreement then leaned in to whisper to Abigail.

“When I get hurt again,” they both knew it was _when_ not if. “You make sure Arthur sleeps and eats.” Abigail nodded solemnly. She let the conversation drop as Karen returned with a plate of food, not just stew and set it in front of her. The buxom woman plopped herself down opposite her and began telling her all about the gossip she’d missed while she’d been out of it. 

“Sadie told me she was joining the pack next full moon.” Adeline added as she started stuffing her face. Karen smiled excitedly.

“Oh! Yes she is! Just a few days I think?” Her eyes trailed up to the sky as if she could see the moon even in the daytime. “Yeah, like three days. She asking you for tips?” The smirk on Karen’s face made Adeline blush.

“Yes,” She muttered into her plate before shoving more food into her mouth. 

“Well, what’d you tell her?” Her smirk was a little infectious. 

“I suggested Charles.” Adeline said, her mouth tilting up in the corner as she tried not to smile too much. It felt like it would be unseemly if she did. Abigail looked like she wanted to laugh but a heavy hand landed on her shoulder suddenly 

“Good to see you’re feeling better.” Charles’ voice was low a steady. Adeline immediately blushed up to her ears. 

“Thank you, Charles.” She managed to sputter out, choking on her mouthful in surprise. He gave a small laugh before walking off, leaving her trying to suck in breath around the meat caught in her throat. Abigail and Karen were laughing hard at her as she finally spit the bite out. 

“You two are both the devil. I should check your skirts for hooves.” Adeline snarled, no heat behind it. 

At the next full moon she stood back with the pack this time. They’d waited later in the evening this time, not starting until it was dark. Adeline crouched beside John, naked except for her knife. It’s sheath was wrapped around her thigh and she was getting more comfortable wearing nothing but her blade. It was different, watching the whole thing from the outside this time. Sadie hadn’t wanted help and she was driving a large boar through the trees by herself. Even Adeline could hear the squeal as the creature ran. It burst into the clearing beside the lake, a golden furred monster chasing it. Once the pack could see, she leapt, ripping its throat out. The beast fell down, shuddering once before laying still and Sadie began ripping it’s belly open. She seemed so much more sure of herself than Adeline had felt in the same position. Part of her realized it was only because Sadie had probably hunted on her own before. 

Some unseen signal and the pack was racing towards the kill, Adeline pulled along as she kept her hand fisted in John’s fur. The frenzy at the carcass was intimidating, teeth and claws were flying with snarls and snaps. She held back a bit, unsure of forcing her way into the group. John took pity on her and ripped a hunk of meat off, tossing it to her. 

_You only have to take one bite._ Arthur’s words rang in her ears as she closed her eyes. Pretending it was cooked steak, she bit into the slippery meat. I’m gonna get worms from this, she thought to herself. Some day she was going to have to explain to the wolves exactly _why_ humans cooked their meat. It slid down her throat like a lead shot and her stomach rebelled just a bit but she swallowed it back. Sadie might take it personally if she vomited now. Couldn't have that. Opening her eyes, she looked over to see the small, golden furred wolf gulping down the heart with abandon, her muzzle covered in blood. Tossing her head back, she let out a loud howl. Adeline felt the rumble in her chest from it, hairs on her arms standing up in response to the call. It was different from the other howls, thinner, meaner, higher pitched. Sounded familiar but she couldn't quite place where it was from. It made a shiver run up her spine and she wasn’t sure why. The rest of the pack raised their heads in a response, their calls answering hers. She let the pull of the cries drag her along and she joined in. 

John pressed against her as she howled. She could feel his cry rumbling in his chest. The pack quieted down as there was a rush of brown fur above golden. It wasn’t like what she remembered from her bonding. It was rough and fast and more teeth. She realized just how gentle they had been with her and the thought made something like fondness swell in her as the wolves crowded around Sadie and Charles. 

It was obvious the effect the scene was having on the pack. She hadn’t remembered much of what else was happening during the bonding but Adeline realized she had been a bit distracted. The wolves were turning their attention on each other, and the air was filled with the sounds of snarls and moans as they began performing all kinds of lewd acts. Adeline’s brows rose in surprise. She supposed she shouldn’t have been surprised but it was still startling that she had missed so much. 

John moved away from the group, Adeline pulled with him as her hand held onto his ruff. He led her away from the frenzy, much to her relief. The wolves might be okay with open copulation and despite Adeline herself taking part in it, she was still unused to it. It was startling to her really, she hadn't realized a person could be so _creative_ really. Part of her was almost tempted to ask John about a few positions she'd seen. Almost. Arthur peeled out of the crowd, trotting after them. They walked across the grassy opening, until they were down on the shoreline. The sand was grainy but soft under her bare feet. The gentle swelling lap of the water pulled calmness into her. 

_How are you feeling?_ Arthur asked in concern. Adeline looked out over the water, a sigh. 

"A little tired, I guess." She admitted. There was no use, they could tell when she was lying. Arthur pressed under her arm shoving her into John with his massive head. They fell in a heap, Adeline curling up against the warm fur as a night breeze blew off the water. Pillowed on the soft fur of John and Arthur, content, Adeline was pretty sure she could die happy right then. 

"Sadie's howl is different, isn't?" She asked, relaxing. Arthur laid his head across her lap and she enjoyed the extra warmth.

 _Omega howl. If she was alone it'd bring every Alpha in hearing distance to her._ John grumbled underneath her, rolling onto his back. The answer did nothing to help her. The nagging feeling she'd heard a howl like that before still clung to her. Grimshaw hadn't ever howled, as far as she could remember. She shook it off, wasn't worth wasting time thinking about. 

Above them a blanket of stars was scattered, twinkling down at her. Her mother had shown her the stars when she was little and afraid of the night. John was nearly asleep, his head near her hip. Arthur’s muzzle rested in her lap, his eyes watching her as she pointed up to the sky.

“See that? That’s Scorpio. A scorpion. You can see how it’s tail curls around.” Her finger traced the line. “I’ve never seen a real one.”

 _I’ll show you sometime. Out West._ Arthur shifted against her, rotating his head a bit so he could see the sky easier. Her hand drifted softly through his thick ruff.

“I’d like that. Oh look, there’s the Big Dipper.” She motioned to the continuation. “It’s also called Ursa Major. The big bear. And you can use it to find the little bear.” Using her hand to trace the line. “And if you can find that, you can find Polaris. My mother said, if you can find Polaris you’ll never be lost.” Arthur huffed in a soft agreement. “Of course I imagine you already know all this.” 

_I like it when you tell me._ He eyed her, gold staring into her. 

“Don’t think I’d ever feel lost as long as I’ve got you two.” She smiled to herself, still watching the stars above her. Her hand slowly stopped stroking his fur, the stuttering starts and stops showing her drifting off to sleep. When she finally went still, Arthur shifted closer to her, moving his head to rest against John’s back. 

Adeline was pulled to a groggy wakefulness, still tired, in the grey hours of morning before the sun was up. She found herself on her stomach in the dirt, arms being roughly jerked behind her back. When she started making a vocal protest a knee was pressed into her back and a cloth was stuffed in her mouth, a bandana tied tight around head to hold it in place.

“No offense meant, but I ain’t letting you wake anyone up with your squealing.” Micah huffed in her ear. At the sound of his voice she struggled to fight back, trying to wrench her arms free of his grip but he was stronger than her. Apparently satisfied her hands were tied enough, he pulled her to sit up, a gold eyed glare enough to tell her not to run. He’d had time to dress at least. Small favors.

“You are a danger to this pack.” He snarled in her face. His breath was rancid and Adeline had to turn her face away as he got an inch away from her. Gloved hands held up a chain. “You know nothing about wolves. You’re going to bring the entire Pinkerton Agency down on us.” Laying the heavy, dark chain over her shoulders, he wrapped it cross and back again around her chest. Using a heavy padlock, he clicked it in place tight. “Did you even know we can’t touch iron? No. You didn’t. Because you’re just a stupid human.” She looked down at the metal encircling her, feeling something inside her rip. It hurt, and when she tried, she couldn’t feel Arthur or John. It left her feeling hollow and scared. Micah grinned, cruelty in his eyes. 

“Yeah, your little bed mates ain’t going to find you now.” Grabbing up her foot, he dragged her through the dirt. As she kicked at him, he kept a tight grip on her ankle. “Now, I can’t hurt you directly. Not since you bonded with the pack, but that doesn’t mean I can’t divest ourselves of your troublesome nature.” He gave a soft whistle and Baylock came trotting out of the tree line, snorting and tossing his head. Without a sign of effort, Micah hoisted her up over the rump of his horse. Almost as a second thought, he threw his coat over her to hide her nakedness. 

“Suppose it wouldn’t do if someone saw me carting a naked woman around on the back of my horse. Might look bad.” He laughed. She hated that laugh. Her knife was still around her thigh but her arms were tied securely. That bastard always seemed to be tying her up. One of these days she was going to tie a rope around his neck and drag him behind Buckshot. Micah watched her glare at him for a moment.

“Now don’t go giving me that look. We both know you’re no good for the pack.” She certainly _didn’t_ agree with that. Kicking out, she tried to struggle free again only to spook Baylock and fall off as the horse gave a small buck. Micah stood over her, gloating. “See? You’re only going to hurt yourself if you keep that up.” Throwing her back on the horse, he saddled up. “If you do that again, I’m going to tie you to the saddle and I suspect you’ll like that even less.” She laid still, looking away from him. The trees blocked the pack, they were so close if she could just call out. It hurt worse that she couldn’t feel her men, couldn’t feel them at all. An open space in her chest, sucking in air.

Baylock started off at a jarring trot, bouncing her around making her struggle to stay on him and not tumble to the dirt again. Unable to catch herself she was worried she could hurt herself if she fell again. Micah chose not to continue gloating over her as they rode and she appreciated it. 

It was midday when he stopped the horse. No one had ridden past them. They had taken back roads and a couple of times he had pulled off the road to hide in the trees but no one ever showed up. They were under a train trellis now, just waiting. Micah had dismounted, stepping away to smoke a cigarette down the end inside a minute. At least he felt nervous about what he was doing, even if she wasn’t sure exactly what. Waiting for someone at least. Adeline swallowed hard, trying to think who he was offering her up to. The first thought was that the cad was working with the Pinkertons and was going to sell her to them for immunity. Would the Hunter’s even go for the offer?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I leave you on a cliffhanger! Sorry, not sorry.


End file.
